


Stolen Kisses

by asterismos



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Comfort/Angst, Declarations Of Love, Falling In Love, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Happy!Nico, Jasico - Freeform, Light Angst, M/M, Post-Blood of Olympus, Puppy Love, Requited Love, Slash, Sleepy Cuddles, Teen Angst, Young Love
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-06-25
Updated: 2015-10-22
Packaged: 2018-04-05 18:24:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Underage
Chapters: 11
Words: 28,907
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4190277
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/asterismos/pseuds/asterismos
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jason had a lot of feelings, and all of these—or at least most of them (Jason had a lot of attractive friends)—were about one boy in particular: Nico di Angelo. The son of Hades was stealing his heart one smirk at a time.</p><p>And the craziest part was, he was okay with that.</p><p>Nico had been building up his walls basically since day one, and he had worked hard to make sure no one could get over them. But Jason Grace—blue eyes, bear hugs and all—had somehow managed to break them down.</p><p>And, gods, Nico would be lying if he said he wasn't falling for him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Catching Feelings

**Author's Note:**

> This work occurs several months after the war with Gaea has ended. It is assumed that Jason and Nico have already established a close friendship. Nico is as comfortable around Jason (and Reyna, but she's not necessarily a major character in this work) as he is around Hazel.
> 
> Also, chapter titles will be allusions/references to books/movies/quotes/songs/etc. that relate in some way, shape or form to this story so any misspellings or whatever are most likely intentional!x
> 
> Hover over the Italian or Spanish (which may appear in later chapters) to see the translations!(:
> 
> Also, check out the official Stolen Kisses playlist called "heartstrings": http://8tracks.com/eloquentwordsx/heartstrings
> 
> Disclaimer: I do not own the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series or the Heroes of Olympus series nor do I claim to. All rights to the characters belong to Rick Riordan and Disney-Hyperion Publishers.
> 
> Anyway, I hope you enjoy this story! xx

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason realizes he's falling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: This is short but the other chapters get longer. Anyway, enjoy! x
> 
> MOOD: "Catching Feelings" by Justin Bieber

 

* * *

 

 **JASON WAS ACUTELY AWARE** of how when he hugged Nico, he seemed to bury his head into Jason's chest.

Since the war with the giants, the son of Hades had opened up significantly, and Jason was of the lucky few who regularly received hugs from the younger boy. It was no secret now amongst their friends: Nico di Angelo was a cuddler. If he could, the son of Hades was always hugging someone. He clung to his friends' sides. If Jason didn't know any better, he'd say he was Nico's favorite to hug. One week, when Chiron announced that summer was over and the demigods who weren't staying year-round had to leave next week, Nico had refused to leave Jason's side, keeping an arm wrapped around his torso at all times. Jason didn't mind. He didn't even mind when the son of Hades hugged him from behind or latched onto his arm while walking or made noises of protests whenever Jason tried to get the son of Hades off just temporarily.

It was kind of cute, actually.

Percy — like the great, noble hero he was — refused to let Nico's crush on him get in the way of their blossoming friendship. So now, Nico often had sparring sessions with him and Jason in the sword-fighting arena. And sometimes (most of the time), Percy and Nico would team up against him. He liked the fact that they were all getting along. For a while after the war, Jason had feared that Nico wouldn't be so willing to open up for whatever reason — maybe his secret would be revealed (even though it wasn't much of a secret anymore anyway) or someone would tease or something else. Jason didn't want to lose the trust he'd earned from him. Luckily, the son of Hades had warmed up to all of them fairly quickly, especially to Jason and Percy. The three of them were becoming so close, in fact, that Leo had taken to calling them the Big Three trio. ("Your guys' bromance makes me sick. I had to give it a name.")

Jason and Piper had broken it off several months ago; things just weren't working between them. Besides, you didn't need to be a child of Aphrodite to know that Piper was falling for someone else. (Then Jason walked in on Piper making out with Reyna and, well, the puzzle pieces kind of fit together.) If he was being honest, only the first few nights did Jason take the breakup badly, spending three days in a row cooped up in the Hades cabin while Nico awkwardly tried to comfort him. Then he kind of realized that he wasn't really upset that Piper didn't love him — he was upset that he hadn't made Piper happy because Piper did deserve to be happy. Now, she was, so he needed to be too. So he picked himself off the ground and moved on, emerging from the mess a new man.

Nico pulled away slightly from the hug to glance up at Jason. His raven-colored hair tickled Jason where tufts of it brushed against his chin.

"What are you thinking about?" the son of Hades asked. Jason's cheeks tinted pink ever-so-slightly and he stared down at the boy whose beauty occupied the son of Jupiter's thoughts nearly every single second of the day. Shortly after Jason and Piper had broken up, Jason knew he was in trouble.

Jason wasn't straight. He knew that. Piper knew it too. But he liked girls and guys. But up until the breakup, Jason had never looked at any of his friends other than platonically. When he became single, he started paying more attention — subconsciously, of course. When he and Percy scrimmaged shirtless together, his eyes seemed to wander from the face of his sparring partner to his chest, the dips and curves of his well-defined body being enhanced by his sweat. He'd get distracted by the way Percy's hair clung to his forehead, how he'd bite his lip in concentration, just how nice Percy's body was.

And if he had it bad for Percy, he could only imagine how far his feelings for Nico stretched. Jason's closeness to the son of Hades was rapidly creeping into dangerous territory the more time they spent together. One of the nights Jason had spent in the Hades cabin, they'd fallen asleep on the same bed and accidentally wound up cuddling. One morning, after having quite an eventful dream, Jason awoke to a rather unpleasant (or pleasant, depending on how you looked at things) surprise — in his own cabin, thank the gods. It certainly didn't help that Jason found just about every single thing that Nico did cute. He liked the way Nico laughed, the way he smiled, the way he talked with his hands. Jason found it hot when Nico bit his lip or smirked or did this thing where he smirked and glanced up at Jason through his eyelashes and the hair that hung over his eyes. He couldn't really focus on anything when Nico did that because his mind would wander to how he'd look doing that with his lips wrapped around his— No. Dangerous territory. Extremely dangerous territory. He couldn't think about it.

"Nothing important," Jason waved off the question before grabbing an Oreo from the nearby container and stuffing it into his mouth to avoid further questioning.

It didn't take a genius to realize it — Jason Grace was rapidly falling for Nico di Angelo, and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

 

* * *

  
"You know," Nico said thoughtfully the next morning. He set his spoon back into his bowl. "Red grapes aren't really red. And not really purple either."

Jason's lips curved in an amused smile as he glanced over at the son of Hades. They were sitting together at the Zeus table in the dining hall, across from each other. Though they did enjoy invading the other's personal space, they preferred looking at each other directly instead of turning to face the other. Besides, they'd slept in the same cabin last night — they'd spent enough time invading each other's personal space then, when Jason discovered Nico's grudging fondness of being spooned.

"I'm sure you're not the only one who's noticed that, Neeks," Jason said before shoving more of his pancakes down his throat. Nico's cheeks burned brightly.

"I told you not to call me that!" he hissed, his eyes darting around like he was checking if anyone had heard the embarrassing nickname he'd been given. Jason laughed.

"Oh, come on, Neeks. It's cute. At least I didn't start calling you 'Death Boy' like somebody has." Jason's grin only widened as Nico rolled his eyes. Then Will Solace began to make his way to their table. "Speak of the devil."

Will scooted in next to Nico, their shoulders touching. Jason decided not to focus on that. "Hey, guys."

"Hey," Nico and Jason greeted in unison.

"Chiron's giving everyone a free day today, did you hear?"

"No. Is he really?" Nico said, the tone of his voice hinting that he was doing little to contain his excitement. He turned to Jason. "Can we spar with Percy?"

Jason smiled warmly at Nico. "I can ask him."

"Can I join?" Will piped up. "I can make it even. I'm not the best swordsman but practice makes perfect, right?"

Nico answered before Jason could.

"Sure."

 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: How do you think Jason feels about Nico letting Will join them?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hope you liked this chapter. Apologies for the length. I promise the rest are longer!


	2. Daydreaming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason gets caught up in his thoughts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Sexual content ahead, my friends. Proceed with caution.
> 
> MOOD: "Like I Can" by Sam Smith

* * *

  
**SHORTLY AFTER NICO HAD ANSWERED WILL,** Jason left for the Poseidon table to ask Percy about sparring. He would never say it out loud but he felt a bit hurt almost that Nico had so quickly, so willingly allowed the son of Apollo to join their sparring session that was quickly growing to be a tradition. He had imagined that this thing they had together was only for them, a sacred event to the trio. He liked that it was just him and Nico and Percy — no one else. They were the children of the Big Three, powerful demigods who were truly no match for much else but each other. It bothered him that Will Solace had been invited to join.

"Hey, Perce," Jason greeted as he sat down across the older half-blood. Percy barely glanced up from his food — blue waffles. "Pretty sure if you keep trying to inhale your breakfast, you'll choke."

Percy slowed down to swallow before pausing just long enough to glare at Jason. Then he continued his meal like the bottomless pit he was. Jason politely waited for him to finish.

"What's up?" he said, setting his plate and goblet aside.

"Apparently, Chiron's giving everyone a free day today so me, Nico and Will are gonna spar. Want to join?"

Percy's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. "Will? Will Solace?"

Jason nodded. "That's the one. He asked to come and Nico said yes."

Percy pursed his lips. "Yeah, sure. Meet you guys in the arena in 10?"

"Sure."

Jason headed for the arena, surprised to find he was the first one there. And that the temperature had risen significantly in ten minutes, which caused him to groan. That was one thing he hated about summer: heat. Knowing that he would be sweaty not too long later, he stripped off his shirt. He didn't want to ruin his Camp Half-Blood t-shirt. Sure, he had tons of others but this one was different. This was the one he'd gotten when he first arrived at Camp Half-Blood. He didn't want it to be grimy and gross because he let himself excessively perspire whilst wearing it. Jason was sentimental like that.

So he stripped and, because the other three boys seemed to be taking way too freaking long, started practicing on a dummy. It wasn't long before he was breathing hard and working up a sweat. Percy arrived a few moments later, also shirtless. Jason didn't mind.

"Where are Nico and Will?" he asked as he approached before sipping from a water bottle he'd brought with him. Jason shrugged, lowering his sword.

"I'm not sure. I haven't see them since I talked to you."

Percy's eyebrows were furrowed together, seemingly from confusion. "That's so weird." He shook his head and averted his attention back to Jason. "Want to start?"

Jason nodded and then they were off.

There was always a kind of underlying competition between the son of Jupiter and the son of Poseidon. They were technically cousins (the thought made Jason's brain hurt). They were children of the Big Three and very close in age. They were both heroes with high expectations. They didn't hate each other and they were really quite close... But there was a sort of of undertone of a question lying in the air whenever the two were together in front of people or on opposing teams for Capture The Flag: which of the two was the better, stronger, more powerful child of the Big Three? It was no doubt a question everyone was curious to know the answer to. Jason himself was curious. There was a way to find out but the outcome was simply not worth the answer.

"I'm really out of practice," Percy decided when Jason disarmed him for the second time. Jason laughed as he lowered his sword.

"Excuses, excuses," Jason teased. "Maybe I'm just the better swordsman."

Percy laughed. "In your dreams, Grace."

A moment of silence passed as Jason ambled over to the bench where Percy had left his bottle of water. He didn't bother asking before he took a swig of it. As usual, Percy didn't seem to mind. He never did.

"Jason?"

The son of Jupiter turned to face Percy, his breath hitching when he realized how close the son of Poseidon had gotten. Jason didn't remember hearing Percy move. The older of the two shifted closer so that he had just enough room to lift Jason's chin, forcing his averted gaze to lock with Percy's. Jason couldn't move — couldn't _think_ — with the son of the sea god's touch raising goosebumps on his overheated skin.

"Do you realize how long I've wanted to kiss you?" Percy didn't wait for a response. "But gods, I just can't wait any longer."

Their lips met and every rational thought in Jason's brain completely dissipated, replaced by one single phrase that repeated itself like an incantation in his mind: _holy Styx, holy Styx, holy Styx_... Jason's brain was muddled aside from that pair of words. As Percy's lips moved insistently against his, Jason whimpered softly. Percy's lips were soft and tasted ever-so-slightly of sea salt. He hadn't realized how badly he'd wanted to kiss Percy until this moment and gods, was the wait worth it. Jason let himself get lost in the kiss, not minding how Percy's hands roamed his body almost endlessly. They traveled with grazing touches until they found their mark; Percy's left hand rested on his hip while the other tugged hungrily at the hair on the back of Jason's neck, which had grown longer in the past few months.

Jason didn't hesitate in opening his mouth when Percy's tongue glided across his bottom lip. When Percy's hand somehow slipped into the back of Jason's pants and pulled him against Percy, Jason made a surprised sound that quickly transformed into a stifled moan as their crotches pressed against each other, sending waves of pleasure throughout Jason's body. He rutted against the other boy without rhythm, desperate for the friction that had him seeing stars. The action elicited a strangled moan from them both.

"Jason?" The younger of the pair snapped out of his daze and focused his vision on the subject of his daydream. "You kind of zoned out on me, man. Are you alright?"

Jason nodded instead of replying, not trusting his voice. His cheeks burned red and he prayed it wasn't noticeable (though it probably was vivid against his fair complexion). He could feel the result of his unexpected daydream struggling against the thick fabric of his jeans. If Percy noticed, he didn't let on. Jason was grateful for that; he was embarrassed enough as it was.

"Well, as I was saying..."

Jason didn't listen. He felt bad about it later but at the moment, he just couldn't focus. He had just had a dream about Percy, his very much straight friend with an also very much straight girlfriend. Nico, he could understand because they were close and he was actually not straight... Gods, Jason was screwed.

And naturally, that was when Nico and Will decided to show up.

The pair came running in panting and with faces rubicund with effort. Will almost immediately hurried over to Percy, giving reasons as to why they were late, completely ignoring Jason. Not that Jason minded, really. He kind of ignored Will too, running over to Nico and asking him questions ( _Are you okay? Do you need water? What happened?_ ). He didn't bother to hide the "Overprotective Concerned Mother" in his voice as he helped Nico to the bench and fetched him Percy's bottle of water. Nico didn't say anything as he gulped down the entire bottle and then lied down on the bench, stomach up. His breathing had slowed down significantly but his chest was still rising and falling rapidly and his face was still red.

"What happened doesn't matter," he said finally. "Let me just catch my breath and we can start."

Jason nodded even though Nico's eyes were shut and sat down beside him. He felt a little grateful that their sudden stumbling in had distracted Jason and indirectly got rid of his boner. He just couldn't bear the thought of having one with three other very attractive boys sweaty and concentrated and... _Okay, definitely not helping._

Jason was _so_ screwed.

  
* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What do you think happened between Will and Nico? Why did Nico avoid answering Jason's question?


	3. One and Only

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Jason's adoration for him intensifies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: 
> 
> DOUBLE UPDATE. BOOYAH.  
> Also, sexual content in this chapter (ish).  
> Just so you know, each of of the chapter titles will be an allusion to a song or poem or quote, etc. (If you figure out what it's alluding to, leave a comment!)
> 
> MOOD: "It's Gonna Find You" by Bombs Over Nowhere

 

* * *

 

 **"NOT THE BEST"** would probably have won the Biggest Understatement of the Year Award, if such a thing existed.

Will Solace was a terrible swordsman, and that was putting it lightly. Okay, maybe Jason was exaggerating a bit but it was still at least half true. Swordsmanship was definitely not the son of Apollo's strength. Jason didn't necessarily mind. It meant that, while they were sparring, he could focus less on Will and more on taking down the others. But at the same time, there was no competition. Jason didn't feel like he was fighting four people, rather, three and a half. Maybe that was a bit rude but again, it didn't make it any less true.

At one point, Will had suggested they do teams and Nico partially agreed, saying that if Jason and Percy wanted to, they would, but they eventually said no. That reduced the difficulty. Jason liked a little challenge and based on his previous experience, so did Nico and Percy. Will Solace just wasn't that when it came to sword fighting. (He was sure, however, that if they were on the archery range, Will, despite not even being the best archer, would kick Percy's ass.)

They sparred for three hours, taking breaks every once in a while for water and one longer one for lunch, before they finally decided to call it a day and go off and do other stuff. Jason tried to rein in the pride he felt when Nico said goodbye to Will and walked over to him and Percy, but he couldn't help it. It certainly didn't help when the son of Poseidon shot him a knowing smirk from behind Nico before Percy left while the Italian boy was talking to him. Jason desperately hoped he wasn't blushing.

Did Percy know? Of course he knew. But... how could he? Nico had been in love with him for years and he didn't know until the son of Hades admitted it himself. (Then again, he'd been led on to believe that Nico had actually hated Percy's guts but, you know, that's besides the point.) Percy was very intuitive though and could decipher situations much more easily than he usually led others to believe...

"Jason, are even listening?" Nico asked, pouting. Jason reeled himself back to Earth, glancing down at the son of Hades.

"No, no. Sorry. What were you saying?"

"I was asking if we could watch a movie in your cabin?" Nico paused. "Or mine. It's darker so we'll get more of that movie theater effect."

Jason hoped he wasn't blushing.

"Sure, why not? Let's do it in your cabin." They had nothing else to do for the day. Jason was tired and wanted to relax and who better to relax with than the guy he was crushing on? "Can I take a shower first?"

Nico was silent long enough for Jason to suspect something was wrong. Before he could question it, Nico went, "sure" but avoided his gaze. They collected their stuff in silence and left the arena. The tension in the air as they walked to the Hades cabin confused Jason. All he did was ask to take a shower, and it wasn't the first time he'd done so. The walk was short and the cabin was in sight within minutes. Nico seemed surprised when Jason followed him right in.

"What are you doing?" Nico asked, staring at Jason incredulously, as if he'd materialized from nothing.

"Taking a shower?" Jason responded, an eyebrow raising as he said this.

"Shouldn't you get your clothes first?"

Jason laughed. "I have some here. Remember?"

Nico's cheeks burned. "Oh."

Jason laughed again as he searched through Nico's obsidian dresser for the sweats and t-shirt he'd left a few weeks ago (since he knew he'd be coming back quite often). He could feel Nico's eyes on him as he gathered them in his hands. He could hear the younger boy sit on his bed and begin to set up the TV they'd snuck onto campgrounds together.

"There's an extra towel in the drawer to your left."

" _Grazie_."

Jason stilled as the word left his mouth and a heartbeat of silence passed between them. Nico was the first to speak.

"Did... Did you just—"

"No," Jason interrupted. He held everything he needed in his arms and rushed to the restrooms, keen on avoiding any further questioning from Nico. He showered quickly, focusing his thoughts on cleaning his body because he knew that if he let his thoughts roam, only one thing would enter his mind and it was sitting in the other room. So he washed his hair and scrubbed his body before shutting the shower off and stepping out. He dried his body quickly and threw on his boxers and sweats, deciding to keep his shirt off. He used his towel to dry out his hair as he walked out of the bathroom. He laid it out across Hazel's empty bed to let it dry before scooting in next to Nico on his bed.

"Why aren't you wearing your shirt?" Nico asked, eyeing Jason's bare chest and stomach.

"Why? Does it bother you?" Jason asked, already reaching for his shirt. He didn't want to make Nico uncomfortable, ever.

"No," Nico said quickly, reaching forward to grab his box of DVDs that was resting at the foot of his bed. "What movie do you want to watch?"

Jason shrugged before answering, "I don't care, anything."

He bit his lip to hide his smile when Nico picked out _Frozen_ and got up to put it in the DVD player. Jason watched him with amusement. After the war, Jason had taken it upon himself to introduce Nico to all the new technology. Nico was familiar with television but didn't realize how much it had advanced. Or even how technology in general had advanced. He was always amazed to see full-color photographs on other campers' iPhones. He couldn't believe that there were small tablet computers that you could carry around with you. And you should have seen his face when Jason told him about the first moon landing. It was kind of cute, how surprised Nico was at everything that had happened but it also came with a melancholy chill, knowing that this fifteen year old kid had been around for almost eighty years. Technically, Nico di Angelo was old enough to be Jason's grandpa. And yet, here he was, using a DVD player like a pro.

"You really love that movie, don't you?" Jason asked as Nico crawled back into the bed, humming in reply. Out of habit, Jason reached out and pulled Nico closer to him. The younger didn't resist. Instead, he curled into Jason's side, enveloping Jason in warmth despite the son of Hades's naturally cold skin. As the movie started, Jason tried to focus on anything other than Nico (as in, the actual movie) but his eyes strayed from the TV screen to the top of the boy's head. He was also hyper aware of Nico's hand, which rested against his bare chest. He couldn't help but notice that the son of Hades wasn't paying much attention to the movie either. The fingers that laid on his chest traced circles of varying sizes on his skin, leaving goosebumps in their wake. They continued like this as the movie rolled on, Nico sometimes shifting to find a more comfortable position. Eventually, the son of Hades wound up half on top of Jason. Not that he minded.

"Jason?" Nico asked quietly. He shifted slightly to look up at Jason. Jason glanced right back down at him, holding his gaze. "Do you think it's possible to fall in love twice?"

Jason hesitated. "What do you mean?"

Nico chewed on his lower lip and glanced down, as if stalling to find the words.

"I was in love with Percy," Nico started slowly. "But I'm not in love with him anymore... Is it possible for me to fall in love with someone else? Is it possible for me to fall in love twice?"

 _Yes, because I was in love with Piper and now I'm in love with you_ , Jason so desperately wanted to say but he had made so much progress with Nico. The boy had opened himself up almost completely to Jason... Would it be worth it to throw all of that trust away simply to fulfill a selfish, love-influenced wish? No, it most definitely wouldn't.

"I... I think it is. Why? Do you think you're in love with someone?"

Something in Nico's demeanor changed, and the boy shifted a bit more until he was lying fully on top of Jason, his knees creeping their way to either side of Jason's hips. The son of Jupiter tensed. Nico had never done this before, never seemed comfortable with it.... Yet here he was, initiating it.

"I don't think," Nico said, sitting up so that he was now completely straddling Jason. He hoped Nico couldn't hear his heart racing. "I _know_."

The son of Hades smiled genuinely at the older of the two, both his hands, running down from Jason's chest to his lower abdomen. Jason gasped when Nico flicked his nipple lightly, as if testing it. The thought would have made him laugh if he wasn't so nervous. In his fantasies, it was him who had always initiated everything, who made the other weak in the knees and begging for more. And it had never been a first. This... _this_ was a first. This was entirely new. Where in Jupiter's name had this Nico come from?

"The question now," Nico continued with the smirk — yes, the smirk that Jason both hated and loved so much (gods, did Nico realize how seductive he was being?), "is whether he feels the same way."

Jason couldn't take it anymore. His decision of staying away melted into nonexistence as he reached out and pulled Nico down, their lips crashing together messily. The younger made a surprised sound, obviously thinking he'd had the upper hand in the situation. (Yeah, not on Jason's watch.) Nico kissed back eagerly but he was obviously inexperienced. Jason didn't care. All he could think about was Nico. Gods, Nico. The younger's hands remained on Jason's chest as they kissed but Jason's decided to travel to Nico's hips. The younger giggled, shifting from Jason's touch.

"That tickles," he said, pulling away from the kiss. He used his hands to guide Jason's to his thighs then leaned right back down to kiss Jason again. Nico seemed to be growing confident because he dragged his tongue across Jason's bottom lip. Needless to say, the kiss escalated. Jason sat up, using his hands to pull Nico impossibly closer. The action accidentally caused their crotches to rub against each other, earning moans from the both of them. Jason needed to hear Nico moan again. He broke the kiss, earning a sound of protest from Nico until his lips latched onto the younger boy's neck. Nico gasped, reaching up to grip Jason's hair. The son of Jupiter sucked lightly on the pale skin before beginning to work on a trail downwards. Nico breathed out gaspy little moans in response. Jason smirked against the younger's skin as an idea formed in his head. His hands found the hem of Nico's shirt.

"Can I take this off?" he asked, tugging lightly at the fabric. Nico nodded. The shirt was gone and tossed aside in seconds. Jason wasted no time in placing his lips back on the younger's skin, continuing to suck hickeys on Nico's body.

"J-Jason," Nico whimpered, tugging on the son of Jupiter's hair. The older of the two groaned at the action, his hips involuntarily grinding upwards in search of friction. " _Fuck_."

Jason would've scolded Nico for his use of profanity if the same word hadn't left his mouth when the son of Hades repeated his previous action.

"M-Maybe we should slow down," Jason said quietly though his dick seemed to disagree. He didn't want to rush into things — not with Nico. The Italian boy was much too important, much too precious, to risk ruining things with him. Jason didn't want to lose him.

"Glad to know you don't think with your dick," Nico said, stealing a kiss on Jason's lips.

Jason blushed. Both of them were hard and horny and basically just admitted their feelings for each other (Jason was nonverbal but it's not like it mattered — Nico most likely got the gist of it by the way he was kissing the younger boy) and the son of Hades still managed to retain his strange sense of humor.

"Glad to know you're still as snarky as ever," Jason responded with a grin. He kissed Nico again, this time taking things slower, relishing in the warmth and softness of the boy's lips and the warmth of his lips.

Jason never wanted this night to end.

  
* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: Do you personally think it's possible to fall in love twice, as explained by Nico in this chapter? Why or why not?


	4. The Pursuit of Happyness

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico is graced with a little happiness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Did you get my pun? I'm just hilarious, aren't I? Anyway, fluff ahead. Consider yourself warned.
> 
> Also, mouse over the Italian to see the English translations. Just a warning: This is what they're supposed to mean, not what they actually do mean. Unfortunately, I do not speak Italian so it won't be as accurate as I'd like it to be. If you do speak Italian, it'd be lovely to receive help fixing them! Just hit me up! Sorry that they're not accurate.
> 
> MOOD: "Everything" by Michael Buble

  
* * *

 

**NICO COULDN'T STOP HIS SMILE** when he woke up the next morning.

He couldn't believe how lucky he was. Snoring softly, Jason laid beside him, a content expression on his sleeping face. The son of Jupiter had a death grip of an embrace around Nico, which he didn't really mind until he realized how badly he wanted to pee. He also noticed that both he and Jason were sporting morning wood, most likely results of whatever dreams plagued them after their... eventful night. The mere memory brought a dark blush to the son of Hades's cheeks.

Nico managed to untangle himself from Jason's arms, grabbed some random clothes from his dresser and made his way to the bathroom. He didn't bother sparing himself a glance in the mirror as he hopped into the shower. He had never been fond of his appearance, especially after becoming so thin and frail during his imprisonment in Rome. Besides, he didn't need to see his reflection to know that Jason had left reminders for him of the night before, and those wouldn't be disappearing for quite a while.

How had that even happened? Nico wondered. He'd gone on a whim, flirting like that. He didn't think he had it in him. He hadn't imagined in a million years that Jason Grace would kiss him. As it had happened, Nico had mentally planned what he was going to do. He mentally prepared himself for rejection. He was ready for that. He was ready for Jason to tell him that they were only friends, nothing more. He hadn't been ready for Jason to kiss him. But it was a more than pleasant surprise.

Nico pulled a fluffy towel off the metal rack and wrapped it around his small frame, standing for a little bit to gather his thoughts. When he left the restroom, Jason would most likely be already awake, and Nico had to be prepared to face him. He didn't know where this left them and frankly, Nico had never been through this before. What was going to happen after this? Would they be dating? How was this going to work? Did Jason even like him? What if it had only been a spur-of-the-moment, raging hormones-induced kiss? _Gods, Nico, get it together_ , he told himself. Now was not the time to spaz out on himself. He was still stark naked. He should at least get dressed before freaking out.

So Nico patted down his body and dried his hair the best he could with the towel before grabbing his jeans and tugging them on. He hung the towel back up on the towel rack and made a move to grab his t-shirt when he spotted something in the mirror that made his anger flare. He stomped out of the restroom to a half-awake Jason Grace who was sitting up on his bed, rubbing his eyes. When he saw Nico, a dopey smile found its way to his face. Nico paid no attention to that.

"Good morn—"

"What the hell is this?" Nico hissed, pointing at the marks on his neck and collarbone. The hickeys Jason had left on his skin formed the shape of the letter 'J', which he doubted would be completely covered up by his t-shirt. And Jason had the audacity to laugh. He reached out and took Nico's hand before he pulled him towards him and pressed a quick kiss on his lips. Nico was too stunned to react, and Jason pulled away too soon for him to melt into the kiss. Then Jason buried his head in the crook of Nico's neck, nuzzling affectionately. "Hey, don't think you can distract me like that. You're in trouble, mister."

"Sorry," Jason said. His lips brushed against the skin where Nico's neck met his shoulder. "I thought it would be funny."

Jason chuckled. The feeling of his breath on Nico's neck sent a shiver down his spine.

"Of course you did," Nico huffed, rolling his eyes. It grew silent between them and they just stayed there like that. Jason's fingers drew aimless shapes on the small of Nico's back. Nico wanted to bring up last night and figure out where this left their friendship, but he was terrified of what was to come next.

"Do you... do you want to talk about it... us?"

"No. Not right now, at least," Nico said. "Right now, our priority is breakfast."

Jason laughed and pulled back from him to meet his gaze. "Alright, just let me get ready then."

Nico wasn't sure how much clothing Jason kept in the empty drawer in his dresser but it seemed like there was enough to keep Jason stocked for a while. Nico sprawled across the bed as Jason went to the restroom to get dressed and allowed his thoughts to wander. There was no doubt in his mind that he had feelings for the son of Jupiter; he just wondered when they actually began.

It couldn't have been any time close to their encounter with Cupid. Perhaps after the war, when he and Jason had begun to grow close. It was a few months ago, when they'd fallen asleep in the same bed together and woke up cuddling for the first time, that Nico actually _noticed_ he was crushing on Jason... but now, the feelings were rooted in him. He was aware that his crush on the former praetor had grown significantly.

"Come on, sleepy head," Nico heard Jason say. His eyelids fluttered open and he sat up. Jason tossed him the t-shirt he'd left in the restroom so he slid it over his head. Jason reached over, his fingers grazing the hickeys on his skin. "They're still a bit visible. We can get some makeup from Piper or —"

"Jason, are you really that dense?" Nico said, scowling.

"Um—"

"Do you seriously think it's a good idea to ask your _ex_ - _girlfriend_ for some makeup to cover up hickeys that _you_ made on _my_ neck?"

"Gods, Nico, of _course_ not. I'm not going to tell her what it's for. If she asks, I'll make something up. But she won't ask." Nico must've still looked at least mildly skeptical because Jason let out a sigh and wrapped Nico in his arms. "Don't worry, Nico. I doubt she'll ask. Relax, okay?"

" _Perché deve essere maledettamente attraente?_ " Nico mumbled to himself as he wriggled out of the older's arms to lie down on his bed.

"What was that? I caught 'attractive' but nothing else," Jason said, his grin widening.

"Where and why have you been learning Italian anyway?" Nico asked, turning on his side to face Jason properly. He thought the son of Jupiter was blushing, but it was too dark, even during the day, in the Hades cabin to tell.

"You know, you're not the only Italian demigod in existence... Some of the ones I've met have been kind enough to teach me a little bit. It isn't that hard since I already know Latin."

That explained Jason answering him with "grazie" last night... Sort of.

"But why?" Nico persisted. Jason shrugged.

"You always mumble in Italian under your breath. I was getting paranoid that you were cussing me out."

Nico snorted. "Of course I am. You don't need to know the language to figure _that_ out."

Jason let out a laugh that could've made the entire Aphrodite cabin swoon.

"Come on, now," Jason said. "I'm hungry and Zeus knows you are too."

"No," Nico mumbled, letting himself fall backwards onto the bed. "I've decided that sleep is more important food."

"Oh, man." Jason shook his head as if he was disappointed. The action would've been believable if he hadn't been grinning so wide. "I can't be attracted to a guy who thinks anything is more important than food."

Nico had to make a conscious effort not to blush. He refused to let the comment affect him like that. He was Nico di Angelo, son of Hades, Ghost King, ambassador of Pluto. He was a scary guy. He did not blush furiously when attractive sons of Jupiter flirted with him.

"That's too bad," Nico replied, allowing himself to curl up against one of his pillows and get comfortable. "Because I could stay here all day."

"But—"

"Jason, I can, and I will."

"Sorry, Nico, but I can't let that happen." Nico frowned and prepared to ask what Jason meant by that statement but before he could utter a single word, his entire body was lifted off of the bed. His vision whirled as he was tossed upside down over Jason's shoulder.

"Jason Grace, if you don't put me down, I swear—"

"Don't swear," Jason chided as he made his way out of the cabin.

"You're an idiot," Nico hissed, covering his eyes in an attempt to protect them from the blinding sun.

"Maybe, but you know what they say," Jason spoke. "You're not you when you're hungry."

"I hate you," Nico growled but it was merely half-hearted. His cheeks were burning red. He could feel other campers' eyes on them as they made their way to Cabin One. "What are we doing here?"

"Patience, child."

"Technically, I'm older than you."

"I've always wanted to date an older man."

"Even someone old enough to be your grandpa?" Nico retorted.

"Well, he's still technically fourteen," Jason said as he set Nico down on his bed. The son of Hades hadn't even noticed they'd entered the cabin.

"Fifteen, actually," Nico corrected absentmindedly.

"What? Your birthday passed?" Jason all but shouted, as if it was really necessary to alert the neighboring cabins that Nico di Angelo had become a year older without anyone's noticing.

"I think so. I'm not really all that sure when it is."

"Oh." A heart beat passed before Jason spoke again. "Happy belated birthday."

"Thanks," Nico said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. "Why are we here?"

"You'll have to wait here while I go get the makeup from Piper."

Nico scowled. "And I couldn't do that from the Hades cabin?"

"The lighting is better in here," Jason explained. "So when I put the makeup on you, I'll get every spot."

Nico snorted. "Over a dozen campers just saw you carry me from my cabin to yours. They know we spent the night together."

"Oh. Should we forget the makeup then? I mean, I guess they're going to find out eventually."

Nico glanced over at him uncertainly. "They will?"

Jason shot him a lopsided grin and sat down beside him on the bed.

"You didn't think I was going to stop kissing you when we were out in public, did you?"

"Um, well, I, uh—"

"C'mere."

Jason grabbed Nico by his hip and pulled him towards him, not wasting any time before their lips met. Nico was more than surprised by this but it was the pleasant kind of surprise he hadn't experienced in years. Somehow, his hands found their way around Jason's neck, pulling him closer. One of Jason's hands cupped Nico's cheeks. The kiss was slow and sweet, like the one they'd shared last night before deciding to sleep. The smile that adorned Nico's lips when Jason pulled away could've easily outshined Apollo's sun chariot (and he knew firsthand just how bright that was).

 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: Do you think Nico is ready to pursue a relationship with Jason? Why or why not? (I know it's a bit hard to tell so soon in the work, but take a guess!)


	5. A Little Love

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which it becomes 'official'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Things get smutty and fluffy.
> 
> MOOD: "Just A Little Bit Of Your Heart" by Ariana Grande

  
* * *

 

 **NICO AND JASON REMAINED IN THE ZEUS CABIN** for a long time, their lips never leaving the other's for more than a minute. It wasn't until Percy came to check on them that they realized they'd missed breakfast.

"So what were you guys up to? Last night, you disappeared after we sparred and didn't show up for dinner," Percy said, raising an eyebrow. It would've been a funny sight — the son of Poseidon inside the Zeus Cabin with a son of Hades and a son of Jupiter — if the latter two weren't a blushing, blubbering mess. "Are you guys—"

"No," Jason and Nico answered at the same time. Jason added, "Not yet anyway." which caused Percy to grin.

"Your lips are really bruised," Nico pointed out.

"So are yours."

Nico blushed. Gods, he wished he'd stop doing that. He had a reputation to uphold.

"Well, you two should probably fix that before you go out there. Wouldn't want some rumors to start now, would we?"

Nico somehow mustered up enough courage to say, "Nah, they're going to find out anyway." He turned to Jason and smirked. "Right, Jace?"

The blush on the former praetor's cheeks was easily visible in the daybreak lighting of the Zeus Cabin.

"If you say so," Percy responded with a shrug, pretty much oblivious. "Oh, by the way, where did you and Will go after breakfast yesterday?"

It was Nico's turn to blush. "Nowhere important."

Nico didn't even want to think about that. After Jason left the table to talk to Percy, Will had asked Nico to help him in the infirmary. Initially, Nico had said no ("Haven't we been over this already? Children of Hades plus people you're trying to heal? Not a good mix.") but eventually, Will had talked him into going with him. When they got there, Nico had found that the infirmary was unusually empty. Will had seemed equally confused until Lou Ellen appeared and manipulated the Mist to magically unveil and table set for two. Nico found it equal parts endearing and annoying how flustered the son of Apollo had grown in a span of two minutes. A few of Will's other siblings guarded the infirmary door and forced Nico and Will to sit at the table.

" _Might as well give them a show_ ," Will had said, flashing Nico a confident grin despite the pink on his cheeks. And so they did. After their meal, they'd noticed that his siblings and Lou Ellen had disappeared so they sat on a bed and talked for a while, losing track of time. Then Will leaned in and Nico freaked out. He had had a crush on the son of Apollo, but his feelings for Will weren't like his feelings for Jason. So, as politely as he could, he told Will the truth. Will had been hurt, of course, but he didn't hold it against him. " _I figured as much but I still wanted to try_." And then they realized how late they were and came running back to the arena.

"Okay, then," Percy said, sensing Nico's awkwardness. "I'll just, uh."

Percy turned and left.

"So where _did_ you go with Will yesterday?" Jason asked. Nico turned to look at him but quickly realized he couldn't quite focus. Jason's eyes shimmered with amusement and a touch of curiosity. In the Hades cabin, his eyes had looked like a sea of navy, an exact replica of the Atlantic. Now, they looked more cerulean tinged with baby blue, as if their usual hue was being invaded by the color of the cabin's ceiling. Nico thought, _No use in lying_ and spilled the truth, leaving out the detail about Will trying to kiss Nico. He didn't know how Jason would react to that and wasn't exactly anxious to find out. For now, what happened in the infirmary would stay in the infirmary. "Oh... Do you like him?"

"For a while, I did," he admitted. The next words were out before Nico could comprehend it. "But I like you more."

The words brought a grin to Jason's face and Nico couldn't help but smile right back. He leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his lips. "A lot more."

Nico moved to pull back completely but Jason's lips found his before he could and, well, there was no denying Jason of what he wanted when it came to kissing Nico.

 

  
* * *

 

  
"Alright, so, now that we've made out for hours, can we please get food?" Nico pleaded. Jason laughed, tightening his hold on the younger boy when Nico tried to escape his grasp.

"Says the guy who called sleep more important than food."

Nico huffed. "It was an honest mistake."

"Sure," Jason said, rolling his eyes. "Alright, come on. I'm actually starving too."

And so the two got up and made their way to the dining hall, where other campers were already having lunch.

"Nice of you to join us," Leo said, clapping them both on the back. He shuffled past them to his table but not before wiggling his eyebrows suggestively at them. With rubicund faces, the pair sat at the Zeus table, sitting beside each other instead of across. Nico still couldn't believe that Leo was around. Three months after the war ended, Leo crash landed Festus in the middle of the canoe lake with Calypso aboard. It had been the dead of night so Leo didn't quite get the warm welcome he probably was hoping for but it was a matter of minutes before the entire camp had been woken up to greet Leo. Nico had been really sure that Leo had died, though his death had given a much stranger sensation than other mortal deaths. Leo explained what had happened, how he'd gotten the cure and then how they'd left Ogygia.

" _Why did it take you so long to get back?_ " Piper had asked.

" _Time is different in Ogygia_ ," Calypso explained.

Nico had wondered how the reunion between Calypso and Percy would go, but truthfully, he hadn't been prepared for what happened. Mostly because it was the exact opposite of what he expected. Percy was in the crowd with Annabeth, watching Leo and Calypso greet the rest of the Seven, until their eyes locked. Percy looked nervous and maybe even a little embarrassed if his reddening cheeks were anything to go by. Calypso moved towards him and the crowd parted for her, obviously not eager to piss off a goddess.

" _You've grown_ ," she'd said, studying him. Then she glanced at Annabeth, then at their intertwined hands. To Annabeth, she said, " _Keep him out of trouble, please?_ "

Annabeth nodded, a small smile playing her lips. " _Of course._ "

Then everything returned to normal.

"Nico?" The son of Hades snapped back to reality at the sound of Jason's voice. "You alright?"

"Yeah, fine," he replied and wolfed down the food that had magically appeared in front of him.

It was technically against camp rules for campers to sit at other cabins' tables but lately, Mr. D and Chiron seemed to be growing lenient about that rule. Often, if all of the the Seven plus Nico and Reyna were at camp at the same time, they would all pick a table (Zeus, Poseidon or Hades, since they were only occupied by one camper) and hang out. Occasionally, others would join their group like Will or Coach Hedge or even Clarisse. Today, Percy, Annabeth, and Piper joined them at the Zeus table, as they were the only ones besides Leo who were at Camp Half-Blood. Reyna, Hazel, and Frank were all at Camp Jupiter.

Nico felt a pang of guilt when he realized he hadn't Iris-Messaged Hazel in over a week, and she was most likely worried about him. Hazel always worried about him, especially after he came out, first to her then to the rest of the Seven then the entire camp. Well, he hadn't officially come out to the entire camp but to a portion of it. Word spread fairly quickly after that. Nico didn't necessarily mind. In fact, he was a bit grateful that he hadn't had to do it himself. Of course, there was homophobic backlash but he made sure they knew messing with a son of Hades was a bad idea. Hazel worried about the backlash he got. She worried he might overwork himself to the brink of fading again. That wasn't the case. Nico had been there and he didn't plan on going back. He was careful about what he did. But even still, she worried and she would most definitely be worried if he didn't Iris Message her soon.

"Hey, Jace," Nico whispered to Jason, hoping he was quiet enough that the others would pay them no mind. Piper was telling Annabeth how much she missed Reyna and Percy was admiring Annabeth's face (if the dazed, dopey smile on his face was anything to go by), so they should have been distracted enough. "I'm gonna call Hazel."

"I'll go with you."

Nico opened his mouth to protest but Jason cut him off with a kiss, which immediately caught the attention of the other three at the table. It grew quiet at the table. Percy was grinning. Annabeth and Piper were studying them both. Annabeth's steely grey eyes ignored the marks on Nico's neck, instead finding the spot where Nico and Jason's shoulders touched. Piper, however, had been keeping a close eye on Nico the whole time. She'd been the first to spot Nico's hickeys, her eyes narrowing, but she never brought it up. Now, she stared at him with a look in her eyes Nico wished he didn't easily decipher.

It was a look Nico was all too familiar with, a look that haunted Nico. She obviously still had feelings for Jason was jealous of Nico. He really hoped she wasn't using Reyna or toying with her emotions. Reyna mattered to him a lot, and there was no way he was going to just sit around when he knew her feelings were being played with, which he sincerely hoped was false. And Nico couldn't really blame Piper for being jealous either. He would be too. He'd been jealous of Annabeth for years and not even rightfully so.

Piper was the first to speak up.

"Did Jason give those to you?" she asked. It wasn't hard to guess what she meant by that. Nico appreciated her straightforwardness. He hated when people beat around the bush (except, of course, when it was him who did it). But he didn't appreciate the inquiry itself. That just wasn't cool. Nico wasn't going to give her satisfaction.

Nico shrugged, keeping a cool expression and avoiding Jason's weary gaze.

"Oh my gods," Percy said, his eyes filling with laughter. "Jason... You did not."

Nico stole a glance at Jason only to discover the son of Jupiter was blushing.

"What? What didn't he do?" Piper asked, her eyes darting from Percy to Jason then back.

Percy grinned deviously and reached forward, tugging the collar of Nico's shirt down before Nico could react. His face reddened as he froze, too stunned to move. Three pairs of eyes flew to his chest and collarbone where the J-shaped trail of hickeys stood out prominently against his pale skin. When he found Piper glaring at him, he came to his senses, slapped Percy's hand away, and readjusted his shirt. Piper averted her gaze and decided to glare at her plate instead.

"I still don't like being touched," Nico muttered, scowling. " _l'avrei ucciso se non fosse stato così attraente._ "

Jason laughed.

"Is he cussing me out?" Percy asked.

"Not exactly."

Percy glanced at Nico curiously, causing the son of Hades to blush.

"You understood that?" Nico asked Jason.

"Only part of it but I got the gist."

Nico pouted. He no longer had the upperhand in that. That sucked.

"Well, uh, anyway," Nico stood abruptly, desperately wanting to escape, "I'm gonna go call Hazel." He turned to Jason. "You coming?"

"Yes."

They quickly said their goodbyes and left the dining hall. Nico headed for his cabin. Though the light in there was scarce, Nico had a LED flashlight bright enough to make up for it. When they were finally inside the cabin, Jason attacked. Nico wasn't ready. Jason had Nico trapped against the door, his lips finding every piece of bare skin it could before making its way to Nico's lips. Nico gasped as Jason's hands roamed to his ass, pushing themselves into his back pockets. He used the new position to pull Nico even closer.

"You have no idea what you do to me," Jason spoke into Nico's ear. His voice was low and deep and unusually raspy and sent shivers down Nico's back. He didn't even know what he'd done to get Jason in such a state. Nico whimpered when Jason slotted one of his legs between Nico's thighs, rubbing his thigh against his crotch. Jason rutted against Nico at the sound, letting out a moan. Nico reached up and pulled Jason's face down, their lips meeting in a sloppy, open-mouthed kiss. The feeling of Jason's tongue in his mouth was entirely new to him but he couldn't care less. Everything just felt so good.

Nico made a split-second decision the second time Jason rutted against him and moaned: it was payback time.

Nico pushed Jason away from him lightly. The older boy's eyes were dark with lust, the bulge in his jeans clearly visible even in the dark cabin. He was breathing heavily and his lips were glossy and plump. This time, Nico went in for the kill. He pressed his lips to Jason's, pushing him back towards the bed. Jason easily got the message. He crawled backwards on the bed and Nico followed right after, eyeing Jason hungrily. Nico tugged on the hem of Jason's t-shirt. Wordlessly, the son of Jupiter got rid of the article of clothing. Before Jason was even properly settled, Nico latched on to his lips again, straddling Jason's hips. He shifted slightly and began sucking hickeys onto Jason's neck and collarbone. Experimentally, he rolled his hips down against Jason. They moaned in unison.

"Shit," Jason groaned when Nico nibbled on a spot on his neck where his neck met his collar bone. "Wait, Nico."

Nico pulled back slightly to look at Jason who gazed back at him with hooded eyelids. "Yeah?"

"Don't you think we're moving too fast?" Jason asked, his voice breathy.

For a fraction of a second, Nico's insecurities invaded his thoughts: Gods, I knew this was a mistake. He didn't like me, did he? This was a bad idea. What if he hates me now? What if he never liked me? Gods, I'm an idiot. Then Nico realized how senseless he was being. This hadn't been the first time they'd kissed and it didn't look like Jason was repulsed by him or what they'd done (if Jason's boner was anything to go by). He just looked worried. Of what, Nico wasn't too sure. But perhaps he was right. Maybe they were going too fast. Nico had confessed that he had fallen in love with Jason just yesterday. Yesterday.

Of course, they'd practically been dating for months but neither of them had uttered a word about their feelings, Nico for fear that his feelings weren't reciprocated. They had cuddled, stayed up all night talking, slept in the same bed, shared mostly platonic kisses on the cheek and forehead, and held hands for months. Leo had taken to calling Nico Jason's "wife". At first, Nico really didn't appreciate it but he eventually grew to like it because it represented the closeness he had with the son of Jupiter. So they practically had been dating for a while now, unofficially, but was that enough?

"Nico?" Jason asked, his voice laced with concern, and Nico realized he'd been silent too long.

"Sorry," he said, leaning down to press a chaste kiss to Jason's lips. "Jason, you remember Croatia as vividly as I do, no?"

Jason gave him a smile that seemed like a cross between apologetic and teasing.

"I really can't concentrate on a word you're saying with you looking down at me like that, sitting there like that." Nico smirked, loving his leverage. He could definitely get used to this. Jason made a sound somewhere between a whimper and a groan in response. "Not helping, Neeks."

Nico rolled his eyes at the nickname but crawled off of Jason, laying beside him on his side, propping himself up on an elbow. Jason turned to face him. The problem in his jeans was still prominent and obviously in need of attention but Nico tried not to focus on that. He was going to have a serious conversation. Jason's sapphire irises found Nico's own. They were several shades darker than normal, the color obviously influenced by his wide pupils, and not just from the dim lighting of the cabin. Nico lost his train of thought with those beautiful eyes fixed on him. Just... wow.

"Jason," Nico started, trying to remember what he had planned to say. "You were there when I confessed. Then when I, you know, exploded... You saw everything — everything. Bianca — " Nico failed in his attempt not to wince. " — never knew that about me. She might have suspected... but I got excited over everything. She probably thought it was the same for him as everything else... Um, anyway, you know more about me than any other person on this planet, dead or living."

"What about Hazel?"

"Even Hazel. She doesn't know what happened in Salona. I never told her. I just told her what she needed to know, nothing else."

"Oh," Jason said quietly. "Wow. I feel honored, you know?"

"Why?" Nico asked with a snort.

"I wasn't lying."

"Wha—"

"In Salona, after what happened. Do you remember what I told you?"

"Yes," Nico said, inhaling sharply. He remembered very clearly that moment. Jason had reassured that if he came out to the others, they would all have his back. He hadn't believed him, though his heart wanted to. Jason also said, "I've seen a lot of brave things, but what you just did? That was maybe the bravest." Nico hadn't believed him that time either, but it had rooted something in him that would never disappear. It had felt amazing to have someone call him that — brave. Maybe it was residue from the longing to be a hero, maybe it was because he'd never felt appreciated before. Whatever it was, it was amazing. But Nico still hadn't believed him. He'd seen a lot of braver things, like Bianca risking her life for people she barely knew on a quest to save someone she'd never met because she had tried to get him the only Mythomagic figure he didn't have.

"I meant it. I want you to know that. You're the bravest demigod I've ever met."

This time, in this very moment, Nico believed him.

"You're everything I want to be," Nico said. "You're everything I want in a partner. I trust you with everything, Jason, even my..." Nico trailed off. He was too old-fashioned and physically too young to even be comfortable saying the word.

Jason's eyes widened. "Me? You'd trust me with... Oh my gods, Nico."

Nico smiled. He was more than surprised when his next words came out unwavering, a large contrast to the way he felt. "Maybe it's too soon. That's okay. I'm not ready, I know that much... But I know it's you. I don't want to have that with anyone else."

Jason was blushing furiously. Nico doubted he was any better.

"Nico, I'm... Wow. Okay, we'll take things as slow as possible. We can make this work, right?"

"I'm not very patient," Nico mused. "But I'll do my best. I don't mind have a few moving-too-fast moments though. They're... exhilarating. They make me feel alive and... in a way, secure."

"Should... should we make it official?"

"I thought we'd made it plenty official when we confessed our love for each other then proceeded to make out for hours and leave the evidence for everyone in camp to see."

Nico watched Jason roll his eyes but a smile tugged at the older boy's lips.

"Nico, will you be my boyfriend?"

"Is that even a question?"

Jason's smile broadened. "I hate to say this after just asking you out but I kind of think I'm in love with you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: Do you think Nico really trusts Jason with what he was referring to? Or do you think he just said that in as a spur-of-the-moment type thing?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: You wonderful readers should totally answer these questions! I'd love to see your responses!!


	6. Good Things

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico realizes it's okay.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I updated early!! Yay!! Tons of fluff and swearing in Italian. I hope you like it.
> 
> MOOD: "Something Great" by One Direction

  
* * *

 

 **NICO WAS IN EUPHORIA** for the rest of the afternoon through to that night.

When Nico finally got around to calling Hazel, she noticed and pointed it out but Nico evaded the subject. Jason stayed with him as he and Hazel talked, laying his head in Nico's lap. Eventually, Jason fell asleep but Nico didn't really mind. It gave him the chance to openly play with Jason's hair. Some time around six, Jason woke up.

"I was thinking maybe the end of next week," Nico said in response to Hazel's question.

"It's been almost a month, Nico! I miss you. You need to come visit sooner than that." When she noticed that Jason was awake, she added, "You too, Jason!"

Jason smiled. "I'm heading there soon for some _Pontifex_ business."

"Maybe you two could travel together," Hazel suggested.

"No flying," Nico said immediately. Jason shrugged.

"Shadow travelling isn't so bad, so I guess we can do that."

"Yeah, right. You nearly had a heart attack the first time."

"That was the first time! I won't freak out this time."

The first time Jason had shadow-travelled with Nico was just after Salona. Nico hadn't been too keen on having to touch Jason (the guy was literally made of electricity sometimes; he could feel the air being charged around him) but he had gripped Jason's bicep (trying not to pay attention to the feeling of his tense, defined muscles under Nico's fingers) and dragged him towards the nearest shadow. As soon as they were in the shadows, Jason shouted, "OH MY GODS" and stared at Nico with wide eyes. No sooner had he done that did they stumble out onto the upper deck of the Argo II from the shadow of the ship's main mast. Jason had promptly run to the spot where the sun shined most brightly, sprawling himself across the floor to soak in the warmth. He was breathing hard and looked terrified.

Jason then smirked. "Maybe you can kiss me in the shadows to calm me down."

Hazel laughed loudly while Nico blushed.

"So I take it you two are dating, then?"

Jason grinned. "As of this afternoon."

"Finally!" Hazel exclaimed. "Gods, do you realize how long everyone's been waiting?"

Nico glanced down at Jason, his eyebrows knitted together. Jason shrugged, looking just as confused as he did.

"Hazel, please explain."

"Most of us knew you two would eventually date. It wasn't hard to tell you guys were smitten with each other. We just didn't know when it would happen. We were getting pretty impatient with you two boneheads."

"Are you serious?" Jason asked.

"Yeah. You were a pair of obliviously lovestruck idiots. Anyway, I'll be expecting you guys this weekend — no later than Saturday. We've got war games so I have to leave but I love you two. And Jason?"

"Yes?"

"Take care of my brother, alright?"

Nico wanted to argue that he didn't need taking care of but the sincerity in his sister's eyes stopped him. Jason nodded slowly.

"I will."

Hazel smiled warmly at them before bidding them goodbye. Nico sighed happily as Jason stood, taking Nico's hands and pulling him up with him. He let Jason tug him towards the bed. They said nothing as they climbed onto the bed, Jason pulling Nico as close to him as possible. He was fairly content to lay with the son of Jupiter in silence, even if they missed dinner. Nico had a big appetite these days but, frankly, laying with Jason was much more satisfying than any meal the camp served. Eventually, they shifted so that Jason was lying on his back and Nico was curled against his side, his hand flat against Jason's chest. He was just about to doze off when Jason spoke up.

"Nico?" The younger of the two looked up at Jason who stared up at the ceiling. "What's it like to have your dad talk to you?"

With a start, Nico realized Jason had probably never really spoken to his dad. Zeus was Lord of the Skies, king of Olympus. He most likely didn't have time to think of pesky mortals, even if one of them was his only mortal son. Most demigods go the entirety of their short lives never meeting their godly parents. Few were lucky enough to receive signs or little words. Nico saw his father often and spoke to him fairly often. He was his father's pride and joy right alongside Hazel. Of course, there had been rough patches in their past but what kid didn't occasionally get pissed at their parent? His parent just so happened to be lord of the Underworld. Hades treated Nico like an equal. He was a pretty decent parent (for a Greek god, anyway), and Nico had never been fully aware of how grateful he should be.

"It's.... strange," Nico answered truthfully. "My dad tries to be as normal as possible when it comes to parenting... But being, you know, Hades, it's not easy. He'll go, 'Nico, please go feed the dogs' and I'll have to ask if he wants me to feed his hellhounds he keeps in the palace or Cerberus or both. And sometimes, he'll ask me to break up a fight at the entry lines or something. He'll give me chores to check on the souls of the damned and it's just really weird. Like, it's normal stuff: feeding pets, doing chores and stuff but it's weird."

Nico paused, glancing up at Jason again. His eyes were shut but when Nico stopped talking, one peeked open.

"Keep going," Jason urged, letting his eye fall shut. "Tell me other stories."

And so Nico launched into a story where he stopped a riot at the express lanes into the Underworld and another where the spirit of Hyacinthus chatted him up and another where a former Huntress of Artemis stalked him to the gates of Hades' palace and another where he had dinner in the Underworld at Persephone's request and was nearly killed when he told Demeter he wasn't fond of cereal. In the middle of telling the story of how he and Percy originally met Bob, he happened to look at Jason fully and realized he was fast asleep. Sometime during Nico's storytelling, Jason's breathing had evened out and he'd been soothed into a peaceful slumber. A quiet, short laugh escaped Nico's lips and he let his head fall back on a pillow (which turned out to be Jason's bicep). Slowly but surely, he, too, fell into a pleasantly dreamless sleep.

 

* * *

 

Hours later, Nico woke up. Dreams had not infiltrated his sleep at any time that night and though it was pretty weird, Nico couldn't really complain. Waking up in Jason's arms was dream enough — so much so that Nico was almost sure he was still asleep. And though it seemed too good to be true, the memories of the night before couldn't be so easily forged, even by Nico's imagination. That was amazing. He couldn't believe Jason was his _boyfriend_.

He sighed in content, looking up at the aforementioned boy, who slept soundly still, seemingly not bothered by Nico's shifting. Nico couldn't help but admire him in the dim lighting of the cabin. It was too dark to really see much of Jason, but Nico had grown used to adjusting his eyes in order to see in this cabin. Much easily than others could probably do, he could make the curved outline of Jason's profile: the top of his head, his gentle roll of his forehead, the shallow dip of the bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips, the bump that was his chin, dropping to the oblivion of his neck. He could see the steady rise and fall of Jason's chest, hear the inhale and exhale of his breathing. He could feel Jason's beating heart, the steady rhythm of a drum, beneath his palm and slender fingertips.

 _Gods_ , Nico thought as he realized how poetic his mind was being. _I've got it bad, don't I?_

He recalled something Plato said: _At the touch of love, every man becomes a poet._

Nico thought long and hard about this. Did he love Jason? Yes, that was easy to answer. Nico had been falling for Jason since the day the son of Jupiter gave him a second glance. Was he _in_ love with Jason? It was a harder question to answer but Nico found himself thinking yes, he was. He'd already said it before anyway. He wouldn't have said it if it wasn't true. But part of him wondered if he was just pining after the next boy to spare him a second glance. But no, that couldn't be it. He'd have been absolutely smitten with Will if that were the case. _So why am I so worried?_ he wondered. _I am in love with Jason Grace and there is nothing I can do about it._

Nico tensed as he thought this. _That_ was what had him so worried, so frightened. He could no longer control his emotions. The dam wall that held back his feelings had long since been broken, and his feelings had flooded out unrestrained and unopposed. It was a terrifying revelation but also... freeing. Nico had hidden and suppressed his feelings for years, always keeping them as solely his own burden. He never let anyone in, never showed his true colors. Now... now, he was becoming a better version of himself, a happier version.

 _Chi nasce tondo non può morire quadrato_ , his mother had told him when he was younger, but he found himself as a living contradiction to the old saying. After four years of unwavering isolation and resistance to friendship, he had given in to his deepest desires and allowed himself to change. He was not a different person altogether, sure, but he had transformed into a version of himself he was most definitely pleased with. And he had none other than Jason Grace to thank for aiding him along the way.

Jason woke up moments after Nico had his gratifying revelation, still half-asleep. The dopey smile on his face made Nico feel all fuzzy inside.

" _Buongiorno, amore mio_ ," Nico greeted before pressing a chaste kiss to Jason's cheek. The son of Jupiter hummed, letting his eyes fall shut.

"Good morning... my love?" he translated unsurely.

" _Sì_ ," Nico said with a smile. His native tongue felt great on his lips, especially since he spoke words of love rather than malice. These days, when he spoke Italian, he was usually cussing someone (namely, Jason) out.

Jason turned over, pulling Nico flush against him, his arms wrapped tightly around him. Nico didn't resist.

"How do you say 'boyfriend' in Italian?" he asked. Nico could feel his lips move against his forehead. A kiss was placed there as Nico answered.

" _Ragazzo_ ," Nico responded, having to think for a moment. Swearing in Italian came easily. Tender words — not so much. But when it did, it filled him with warmth. This is what he could call Jason now. This is what Jason would call him. _Holy Styx._

"We should get ready," Jason said quietly. His fingers danced across Nico's back.

"We should," Nico agreed.

Neither boy moved.

Nico had almost dozed off again when Jason sat up, pulling the younger boy with him. Nico made a noise of protest but otherwise didn't resist. He detached himself from Nico (much to Nico's displeasure) and found his way to the bathroom. Fifteen minutes later, he was back, wrapped in a spare towel. He kissed Nico's forehead and muttered a "your turn" before pushing Nico in the direction he'd come. Nico hurriedly showered and brushed his teeth, trying not to dwell on one of the questions on his mind as he did so: _what did Jason see in me?_ He was going to let himself be happy this time around. He hand-dried his hair with a small towel before wrapping another around his hips. He knocked on the door.

"Are you dressed?" he called. A muffled 'yeah' came in reply. He stepped out of the restroom and walked over to his dresser, trying to ignore the son of Jupiter. Jason was wearing just a pair of gym shorts and was laying on his bed, watching him. Nico could feel his gaze lingering on his body. Very rarely did Nico walk around shirtless — even with Jason. Now, his body wasn't Jason's, but by the way the older boy was eyeing him, that was perfectly fine to Jason. Heat rushed to Nico's cheeks as he thought this, but he forced the thoughts away. He was only in a towel. Jason was only in gym shorts. If they were going to take things slow, having dirty thoughts about the other certainly wasn't going to help. So, with his index finger, Nico made a circle with a plane parallel to the ground, signalling for Jason to turn. He did so instantly, giving Nico a great view of his defined back muscles. Nico dressed quickly and told Jason he could look when he was ready.

"'M still sleepy," Jason said as he sat up, taking Nico's arm and using it to pull him closer. He was so dopey and tired and half-asleep. He was like a lazy cat, constantly wanting to curl up and sleep. It was ridiculously adorable. Jason buried his head into Nico's neck. He was sure the son of Jupiter could easily fall asleep like that, but he wasn't going to let that happen.

" _Ti voglio baciare_ ," Nico murmured when he felt Jason's lips brush against the small amount of bare skin on his shoulder.

"Don't know what that means," Jason replied as he pulled back to give Nico a small smile.

"I'll show you," Nico said and then he dove in for a kiss. It could've been a really cute, very romance novelesque moment had their noses not bumped and Nico's foot not stepped on Jason's and several other things Nico was too embarrassed to even mention not happened. Nico's cheeks flooded with red as Jason burst into laughter, clutching his hurt foot in his hands as he rolled onto the bed. Nico glared at him despite his blush.

" _Vaffanculo stronzo!_ It's not my fault." He fidgeted with his fingers as he stared at the wall, mumbling to himself, " _Fessa_ , _fessa_ , _fessa_. Could I be any more of an idiot? Gods—"

"Hey, Nico."

"—fucking _damn_ it. Ugh. _ Figlio di puttana!_ I can't believe—"

"Nico," Jason tried again. But Nico was on a roll.

"—I just did that! And of all times. Gods, the Fates hate me. _Cazzo!_ If—"

Nico stopped abruptly when Jason shifted directly into his line of vision, their foreheads touching, in a way that Jason's bright blue irises would take up most of his view. He automatically became hyperaware of Jason's hand, which rested on his hip. That tickles, Nico thought but he didn't say anything.

"You're cute when you speak Italian," Jason said with a grin. "But I still have no clue what that meant."

Nico leaned forward and captured Jason's lips in his — slow and gentle and the slightest bit timid, too. He pulled away shortly.

"I'm guessing it has something to do with kissing?"

Nico hummed in agreement and found himself leaning forward again. Kissing Jason was unlike anything he'd ever experienced before. It was euphoric and amazing. Simple kisses made him feel alive and happy. And his lips... _Gods_ , his lips. They were soft and plump and a shade of pink that should not be allowed. In a casual conversation with Percy, he had told Nico that, apparently, a boy's lip color was the same color as the head of his dick. This memory resurfaced as he stared at Jason's lips. _Was it true?_ he wondered. Gods, did he want to find out.

But Jason pushed Nico away gently, after their lips brushed for mere seconds, and pressed his forehead against Nico's once more.

"We're going to miss breakfast if you keep kissing me," he said with a chuckle.

"I don't mind," Nico said, but his stomach's protests made themselves known at the word 'breakfast'.

"Don't think your stomach agrees," Jason pointed out with a lopsided grin.

"Screw you," Nico muttered, pulling away completely. Jason laughed, watching him as he slipped on his shoes. The son of Jupiter pulled his own shoes on as Nico waited impatiently. When Jason was halfway done with his second shoe, he made his way out. Jason was by his side within seconds, his hand finding its way to Nico's. For a moment, his eyes darted around in fear that someone would see them but he quickly relaxed. Why should he be worried? _Be happy_ , he reminded himself.

And as he went about his day — sometimes with Jason, sometimes not — he realized he was.

 

  
* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: Nico says in the middle of the chapter that he's a living contradiction of an old, Italian proverb. do you think that's true? Why or why not?
> 
> BONUS: Do you think there are multiple meanings to this proverb and Nico's situation applies to just one? Explain.


	7. Simplicity

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I know it's been two weeks but I promise I had a good reason for it!! I also hope this chapter makes up for it!!
> 
> MOOD: "So In Love" by The Icarus Account

  

 

 

*     *     *

 

  
**JASON WAS PRETTY CERTAIN** his life couldn't get much better than this.

He had to be dreaming. He dealt with all kinds of mythological beings and countless gods and goddesses that shouldn't have been real but were. Despite that, he honestly couldn't believe that this was real life. And he honestly couldn't be happier.

Nico sat beside him, chewing thoughtfully on some steak. Today, only Percy joined them at their table, seemingly not bothered by how close he and Nico were sitting. Apparently, Annabeth was in her cabin bent over draft blueprints for some of the shrines Jason had asked her for help with. The thought made Jason feel a little guilty that he hadn't done much for it yet but Percy reassured him that it was fine. Annabeth was just overthinking, as always.

"She shouldn't be stressing about it this much, but she is," Percy explained.

"Why aren't you with her?" Nico asked casually, stuffing another piece of steak down his throat.

Percy smiled sheepishly. "She said I was distracting her so she kicked me out."

"You _are_ pretty distracting," Nico mumbled with a shrug.

"What? How?" Percy said defensively. "I wasn't even _doing_ anything!"

"You don't need to," Jason said. "You're plenty distracting based on looks alone. Right, Nico?"

Nico looked up at him with knitted eyebrows, obviously confused by Jason's comment. Jason supposed it was a bit of a shock: _Oh, by the way, you and I are sexually attracted to the same guy. Let's hit on him together._ But it couldn't have been _that_ surprising—it was no secret that Percy Jackson was hot as hell. Finally, Nico seemed to relax.

"Yeah, especially when we spar. Gods."

Jason nodded enthusiastically, his eyes not leaving Nico's.

"Sweat and muscles... I can't decide if that's a good thing or a bad thing."

" _Definitely_ a good thing," Nico said.

"Well, not if he—Percy—is straight," Jason argued. "Puts a downer on your fantasies, y'know?"

Percy grunted.

"Who said I was straight?"

Both Nico and Jason turned to look at him.

"Well, I _am_ ," Percy continued, "But I never really said it." Then he turned to Jason. "You fantasize about me?"

Jason's mind flashed back to the daydream he'd had in the arena and the countless wet dreams he'd had many times before. Had he actually admitted to that? Gods, Jason was so hopeless.

"Don't flatter yourself," Nico said, rolling his eyes. "I doubt it's just _you_ he fantasizes about."

"Yup," Jason replied.

"Well, don't just leave us in suspense, Jace," Percy said with a laugh. "Who else?"

"Yeah, _Jace_ ," Nico drawled, his dark eyes looking up at him expectantly through thick eyelashes. The corner of his lips twitched upwards in that smirk that drove Jason absolutely mad. "Who else?"

"Oh, man," Percy complained somewhere far away. "This is _not_ what I had in mind."

Jason and Nico laughed in unison as they came back down to Earth, but Jason didn't miss the way Nico licked his lips and placed a hand on Jason's thigh. Neither had been unintentional. Both were doing things to Jason that shouldn't have been legal. Their breakfast mostly returned to normal, except for Nico's hand and the occasional smirks Nico threw in his direction. And when he wasn't smirking at him, he still managed to look ridiculously attractive.

 

 

*     *     *

 

 

"Jace, are you sure you're good to shadow travel? We'd have to make stops in between. I usually stop once in Chicago and this one town in Utah — Moab, I think. But with two of us—"

"Make as many stops as you need," Jason interrupted. They were in Cabin One, cuddling on his bed and making plans for this weekend's trip to visit Camp Jupiter. According to Nico, it was likely that they would leave as early as tomorrow morning in order to make it to New Rome on Saturday, as the travel time would be a total of two days. Between that, Nico would rest and let Jason take first shift or get food. Then he'd rest while Nico took second shift.

"Okay, but when we get to Moab, you _have_ to wake me up after the sun sets. I want to show you something."

"What is it?" Jason asked. Nico beamed at him, a mischievous glint tainting his gaze.

"That's for me to know and for you to find out."

Jason groaned. "How do you even _know_ that saying?"

"You're not the only one trying to catch me up on pop culture," Nico said. "I think Percy's made it his life goal or something."

"Oh, great. I need to step up my game."

Jason tightened grip around Nico, incidentally pulling the younger closer to him. Nico wrapped his arms around Jason's torso, burying his face into his neck. Jason let out a breathy laugh as Nico's hair tickled his skin.

"So do I," Nico mumbled. His lips brushed against Jason's skin, sending a shiver up his spine. "You're making me soft."

Jason huffed. "Am not. You're doing that all on your own."

Nico grumbled something incoherent before growing silent. They became enveloped in the embrace of a comfortable silence as Nico fell asleep. Jason didn't mind. He didn't really think Nico was becoming soft. He was soft all along—he'd just hidden it for so long under a mask of anger that he'd forgotten it was there. Slowly, as Jason got to know him better, the mask broke away, revealing more of Nico's character to him. Personally, Jason very much enjoyed this part of him. His mysteriousness and need of friendship was what originally lured Jason in, but it was this aspect of Nico—this kind, shy, compassionate, lovable guy—that kept him around.

Jason shifted slightly so he could pepper kisses all over his boyfriend's face, finding out that Nico wasn't asleep after all when the younger's face contorted and he gently—albeit blindly—swatted Jason's face away. In response, Jason caught Nico's thin, nimble fingers with his own and placed kisses on the pad of each one. The son of Hades' eyes fluttered open, and he watched Jason do this. Jason met Nico's gaze and held it as he intertwined his hands in each of Nico's. And then he smiled.

Jason's smile didn't waver as Nico freed one of his hands and used it to cup his face. It only widened when Nico closed the distance between them. Unlike the rest of their kisses, this was much less rushed and hungry. It wasn't laced with need as much as want or lust as much as love. It wasn't urgent or impulsive. It was sensual without being sexual. It was longing and slow and passionate and sincere. And Jason was thrilled. Elated, excited, entranced. _Happy_.

"Gods, I really freaking like you," Jason admitted against Nico's lips. He pulled away just enough to say this before their lips danced again to a song neither could hear. His hand found its way into Nico's hair and gently filtered through it.

"You're making me soft, Jace," Nico complained, pulling away fully this time. Jason smirked as Nico pouted. He could already imagine the conversation they'd have if he pointed the fact out: Nico would consistently deny that he ever pouts while Jason continuously insisted that yes, Nico did pout.

"It's okay. I like you soft." Jason nuzzled his cheek against Nico's to prove his point. Nico's skin was very, very soft—like a baby's. And smooth, like porcelain. Jason hummed happily as he continued to touch his boyfriend's skin affectionately. "So soft."

Nico swatted Jason's hands away. "You're so weird."

"Being weird is my specialty," Jason replied. Nico gave him one of his signature eye rolls before sitting up. He watched his hair fall perfectly around his face in that messy way that was so _Nico_.

"We should do something," he spoke.

"Well, we were just cuddling, but..." Jason trailed off and shrugged. His words earned a glare, to which he only responded with a simple smile.

"No, I mean, other than that."

"I could think of a few things."

Ignoring him, Nico continued, "How about we watch _Frozen_? We never actually finished watching it."

"Or we could finish what we started."

"Jason!"

"Alright, alright. Fine." Jason scooted off the bed and made his way to the small TV stand, sifting through his DVD collection. He came up empty. "Nico, I think it's in your cabin."

"Can we watch _Lilo & Stitch_ then?"

Jason found the DVD with ease and quickly set up the DVD player and TV. He slipped the disc into the player and grabbed the remote before making his way back to his bed. He didn't miss the fact that Nico had shifted and gotten rid of his shirt. As soon as Jason settled comfortably into a seated position on the bed, Nico crawled into his lap. He slightly obscured Jason's view with his hair, but he didn't mind very much. He used it as an excuse to distract Nico.

Jason pressed a kiss behind Nico's ear, causing the younger of the two to shiver. He began to work his way down, pausing in between each kiss. His arms, which had instinctively wrapped around Nico's waist, unraveled themselves. He let his palms rest on Nico's thighs and continued his kisses. Jason leaned forward ever-so-slightly to get a better angle and was surprised to find Nico tilting his head to give Jason more access to his neck. He was even more surprised when Nico's right hand reached around and filtered through his hair, almost as if encouraging him to go on.

While Nico's breathing gradually grew shallow, Jason continued to leave soft, wet kisses on every bit of exposed skin his lips could find. Finally, he nipped a Nico's skin gently, causing him to gasp. Tentatively, he sucked on the skin, careful to watch for any sign telling him he should stop. Nico let his head fall back onto Jason's shoulder, ultimately relaxing in his arms. His walls were going to down, Jason realized. An overwhelming new fondness washed over him as he pulled back and blew air over the new mark he'd made on his boyfriend's skin.

"You're really good at distracting me," Nico said quietly. "Almost _too_ g—"

Jason cut Nico off by capturing his lips in his own. He made a sound expressing his annoyance before shifting his body so their angle wasn't so uncomfortable. (Apparently, he wasn't annoyed enough to not kiss him... Jason didn't mind.) His arms wound around Jason's neck and Jason let his rest on Nico's hips. Nico squirmed a bit and Jason remembered that he was ticklish there. He pulled away from their kiss and grinned devilishly. Too late, Nico realized what was happening. He attempted to scramble away but Jason prodded his sides with his fingers and Nico burst into a fit of laughter.

"J-Jason!" he shouted, trying to get away. He could hardly move. "Stop!"

"I can't believe how ticklish you are!" Jason exclaimed with a laugh. Nico tried to glare at him but couldn't summon enough self-control to do so. His ticklishness left him defenseless and out of control. And Jason was enjoying it way too much. Eventually, he stopped and pulled Nico as close to him as possible. Both of them were panting from all their laughing. They remained in that position for a while as they caught their breaths and for some time after.

"You know what I just realized?" Jason spoke up. Nico hummed in acknowledgement. His nimble fingers were splayed across Jason's shoulder blades. Not that he noticed. "Neither of us have packed yet."

"We can pack tomorrow," Nico muttered, though Jason was fairly confident that he knew as well as Jason did that they wouldn't have time to pack tomorrow. Jason dipped his head to steal a kiss from Nico before hooking his arms under his legs and armpits. In one swift movement, he was off the bed, carrying Nico bridal-style.

"What the hell? Jason!"

Like a good boyfriend (gods, he would never get tired of saying that), Jason completely ignored Nico.

"We'll start with your suitcase because I know how worked up you get over being underprepared."

Nico scowled and continued to complain as Jason slipped on shoes and exited the cabin. He didn't stop as Jason walked across the hearth to Cabin Thirteen (it wasn't the first time Jason had had to do this and deal with the strange looks from other campers) or even when they got inside the cabin. Nico's scowl only deepened as Jason set him on his bed and began to pack for him. Like a good boyfriend.

"I can pack it myself, Jace," Nico said but he made no move to do so.

"You're welcome to join me," he replied as he sifted through Nico's drawers. The few clothes Nico owned that actually weren't black were dark blue, dark red and dark purple—and those were just the t-shirts. All of his jeans were black and torn in at least one spot. _Note to self: go shopping in New Rome._

"Since you interrupted my relaxation time, I'm just going to finish it over here."

Jason laughed. He'd been expecting a 'no' anyway. Besides, this left Jason to plan things for them to do when they got to New Rome—or maybe in between, in Chicago or that other town. They'd only been dating for—what? A day? But they'd been close for the past several months. They might as well have been boyfriends long before making it official. And now that they were official, Jason was realizing he wouldn't be too great of a boyfriend if he didn't even try to take Nico out on a date. Even if it wasn't much, he still had to try.

As Nico told the back of his head that he'd left the television in his cabin on, an idea solidified in his head and he couldn't stop the smile that snuck onto his face. It was perfect.

 

 

*     *     *

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What do you think Jason has planned? *waggles eyebrows*
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: So that was Chapter Seven! I hope you liked it! I sure did haha it was so great writing it. Chapter Eight will be their traveling days hehehe
> 
> Anyway, don't forget to comment or leave kudos if you haven't already. Subscribe if you want to read the next chapter ASAP. I really appreciate comments, regardless of whether they're positive or negative. All are welcome!
> 
> Thank you so much for reading!x


	8. Interstellar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "But with Nico half-naked and pressed completely against his still fully-clothed body, their kiss was anything but quick."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm two days overdue but I hope you'll forgive me because this chapter is long (compared to the others, at least; it's 3,694 words) and amazing (in my opinion lol)! Just a quick warning: tons of fluff. A little angst, but TONS of fluff. My goal is to bring you to tears, so have tissues on hand. :))))
> 
> MOOD: Overall, "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri  
> However, things for this chapter are going to work differently. There will be four different songs for four different scenes. I'll link them where I see it fitting and you can click on the link to start listening. (It'll be on YouTube, I promise.)

 

 

 

 

*     *     *

 

 

 

  
**JASON DECIDED IT WAS OFFICIAL—** he was _never_ going to shadow travel ever again.

The unfortunate part was that he had agreed to do it about five more times. Even worse, the trip to Chicago was cut short by an empousa who'd posed as a maid at the hotel they'd made accommodations in. Jason had been able to kill her fairly quickly but she apparently had friends in the hotel and Nico had passed out cold. Needless to say, his escape plan included carrying his boyfriend and their things out of the room, shouting some excuse at the bellhop in the lobby for their too-early departure, and flying off to find refuge. He was pretty sure he had given the bellhop a $50 tip by accident but it hardly mattered. Safety was more important than their money, really.

Eventually, the weight of their bags and Nico combined with Jason's tired muscles took its toll on his body. He tried to make a smooth landing to prevent Nico from waking up so he could rest properly, but that didn't work out. He stumbled to the ground in an alley and lost his grip on everything he was holding, including Nico. The son of Hades was lured out of his sleep slowly, like he had only been shaken gently on the shoulder. Then he took account of his surroundings, dazed and still half-asleep, and whirled around with his sword drawn. Jason just barely dodged the Stygian iron blade.

"Holy Romulus," Jason muttered, rubbing a line at his throat where he would've been slashed had he not moved as quickly as he did. Nico's dark eyes focused on him and he visibly relaxed.

"You're the second blond with blue eyes I've nearly decapitated out of surprise."

"That's good to know," Jason said with a laugh. "I've only ever decapitated a bust of Diocletian."

He mentally cursed himself for being so inconsiderate when he saw Nico grimace. Nico already knew that—he had _been there_. That was in Split, right before they met Cupid. It was always going to be sore spot for Nico, no matter how much time passed. And his mentioning it was like prodding at an only half-healed wound. How could he be so dumb and insensitive?

"Nico, I'm—"

"It's fine," Nico snapped. His eyes focused on the floor. Jason could sense his walls going up and he couldn't help but [blame himself for it](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjwZAa2EjKA). But he didn't want that to happen, not after everything. Not after all he'd done to gain what he had with Nico. Not after just starting to pursue an actual relationship with him.

"Hey," Jason said, taking Nico's hand a gently tugging him towards him. The son of Hades complied but said nothing, even as Jason wrapped his arms around him and began kissing all over his face except for his lips. "What happened there doesn't _define_ you, it's just a part of you. You can't let it bother you. You just have to learn from it."

"What is there to learn?" Nico asked, his eyes flashing with anger. "That gods are immortal assholes?" Nico scoffed. "As if I need that to happen to know that."

Jason nuzzled his nose against Nico's, forcing their eyes to meet. "You can learn not to let your anger rule you or your actions. And you have learned that. You can also learn to not dwell on the past. I can tell you're working on that. You can learn to accept who you are and I know you're struggling with that but _gods_ , Nico. I want you to accept who you are because you're a really fucking amazing person."

He pressed his lips to Nico's gently, almost tentatively, and pulled back quickly. He didn't want Nico to think he was trying to make a move on him while he was upset. He hoped he was just offering comfort and support.

"I'm sorry," Nico said finally.

"Don't apologize," Jason replied, though he appreciated it. "You alright?"

Nico nodded and quickly kissed Jason. Then he looked around, as if realizing where they were and that they both still needed rest. "Let's get out of here."

"Not so fast," a voice spoke. Both of them jumped apart and searched for the source of the voice, their eyes landing on an empousa at the front of the alley. Her friends, all of them dressed in maid uniforms, joined her at her sides. Jason drew his sword but his free hand found Nico's and he laced their fingers together. He squeezed it gently but urgently, hoping to send Nico a telepathic message as well as provide a gesture of comfort. Jason made sure to use his sword to tug their luggage on top of his feet so they didn't get left behind. He hoped that Nico had gotten enough rest for one more, short shadow jump. Otherwise... well, he didn't want to think about what would happen if he didn't.

Fortunately, Nico understood. The darkness around them grew darker and one of the vampires hissed, " _stop them!_ " As the group ran for them, they were both enveloped in shadows. Jason clung to Nico until they stumbled out of the shadow of a giant rock formation. Nico collapsed in Jason's arms. Jason, still woozy from the shadow travelling, wasn't completely ready to catch him so the action sent them both toppling onto desert sand the color of burnt umber.

"Sorry," Nico murmured.

"It's okay," Jason said.

It took quite a struggle but he eventually managed to get them both to their feet, though Nico seemed to be mostly relying on Jason to carry him. First, he scanned their surroundings briefly for immediate danger. The only sign of life were the surrounding desert shrubs and the sound of a truck horn as it rushed down a nearby freeway. Then, he checked on their bags, making sure that they were still with them and that nothing broke (that he could see, anyway—he couldn't exactly open any of them with Nico stuck to his arm). He brushed the reddish-brownish sand off their clothing.

"Where are we?" Jason asked Nico as he shouldered their bags.

"Moab," came Nico's mumbled response.

"Huh?"

"Utah."

Jason nearly dropped their bags.

_Utah?_ They were supposed to be here tomorrow. Had Nico really shadow-traveled all the way across the country? After having just doing so in order to get to Chicago? Was he insane? Jason glanced down at the half-conscious son of Hades leaning on him and [felt his heart grow three sizes](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdN5GyTl8K0) for him.

"Well, I _think_ it's Utah," Nico continued but his words slurred together so much that they were almost incoherent. It took Jason several minutes to decipher what he was saying. "That's what I was aiming for."

"Why? You still have to sleep!"

"I'm alright. Just give me a few hours. If we're in Moab, there's a camping site nearby. We can set up."

Jason agreed. The sun would be setting in a few hours, which would give Nico enough time to rest completely. Plus, he would have to get them proper food to eat. (Honestly, what was Nico thinking when he packed all those granola bars?) So they set off in the direction of the freeway before following it south to the city of Moab. Jason couldn't help but be a little astounded by Nico's surprisingly good sense of direction and geography. Jason's survival skills sucked. He just knew the basics: don't die and prevent anything that could kill you from happening. But Nico was the ultimate survivalist. He had survived for months on his own and was honestly just incredible. And pretty hot too.

It took them about forty five minutes to walk at their slow pace to the city that appeared to be more of a town than anything. Just as Nico had said, a campsite sat just outside the town. Its huge RIVERSIDE OASIS CAMPGROUNDS sign made it easy for Jason to find it.Still half-dragging, half-carrying Nico, Jason walked in the direction of the campgrounds, careful to keep an eye on the traffic around them. It was kind of funny to think that despite all the near-death situations he'd faced, he was still a bit terrified of being hit by a car. Compared to the rest of the times he'd almost died, this seemed like the least extravagant... And the thought made him feel immediately guilty. It wasn't like people wanted to get hit by cars, and it wasn't like demigods wanted to die while saving the world. Or almost die, in Jason's case.

"Here, this is a good spot," Nico spoke up suddenly. Jason had been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even realized they'd gotten to the campsite.

He stopped and set their bags on the floor. Nico eased his way to the ground to sit while Jason began setting up their tent. It took a bit (a lot) of effort but he finally got it set up. The sun still beat stubbornly on the land, causing beads of sweat to form on Jason's forehead and neck. Nico, who was still wearing that stupid jacket of his and his all-black outfit, was probably sweating like crazy. Jason helped the half-asleep demigod into their tent and aided in getting rid of his thick aviator jacket. Just as he thought, Nico was perspiring a lot. _Okay, first, get rid of these clothes. Then, get Nico some water._

Jason raised Nico's arms up and, with some difficulty (because Nico was laying on his side and made no attempt to help him), pulled his shirt over his head. He took off both his shoes and his socks. Then, carefully, almost shyly, he hooked a finger in one of Nico's belt loops. Almost immediately, the younger's eyes snapped open.

"Sorry," Jason said. "You're just sweating a lot." He gave the belt loop a gentle tug. "Can I take this off?"

Nico slowly nodded his head. Usually, his face was a perfectly devoid of emotion. He had a great poker face. This time around, Nico made it clear he was hesitant. Jason slowly unbuckled the younger's belt and undid the button and zipper, trying to make a little physical contact with Nico's body as possible. He didn't want to make Nico uncomfortable. With a little help from Nico (or rather, his legs and feet), he got his jeans off of him and set them aside. It kind of hit him, then, that Nico was now wearing nothing but his boxers. The thought went straight to his crotch but he forced himself to focus on the task at hand: making Nico comfortable. When he was done, he sat back and decided it couldn't hurt to let his eyes wander for just a bit.

"Comfy?" he asked as his eyes followed an imaginary path from Nico's jawline to his collarbone, his toned torso to his infinitely long legs. He could feel the younger watching him as his gaze roamed the exposed body he'd only had the pleasure of seeing once or twice before. And it was never down to just boxers. He was always either wearing his t-shirt and his boxers or his pants. Never had he been this open with Jason about his body. Jason felt honored.

"Sorry, what was that?" Jason asked, looking sheepish. Nico smirked up at him with mirth in his eyes.

"I said yes, Jace," he responded, the amusement clear in his voice.

"You're making fun of me," Jason complained, his cheeks darkening. But he would be completely fine with Nico teasing him if it meant they would always be in this type of scenario.

"I don't need to," Nico said. He reached for Jason's hand and tugged him down to lay beside him.

"I have to take first watch," he reminded him when Nico leaned forward to kiss him.

"Okay," he said as he scooted forward. "Just a quick kiss."

But with Nico half-naked and pressed completely against his still fully-clothed body, their kiss was anything but quick.

 

 

*     *     *

 

 

"Nico," Jason whispered as he shook the slumbering son of Hades gently. After the war with Gaea, said sleeping half-blood had had a hard time not startling out of his sleep when he was woken up. Each time, he woke up in full-alert, ready to attack. It had taken him a while to get used to the idea that he was safe. So Jason was careful about how he woke up Nico, not that they were no longer inside camp boundaries.

His shift on watch had been pretty boring. One wild centaur passed by and paid him no mind, which was a huge relief. Jason was really in no mood to fight. Instead, he busied himself with scouting the area, never straying too far from the campsite. From what he could see, there was a McDonald's, a diner Jason couldn't read the name of, a Motel 6, and several other establishments in the town. The sun crept towards the horizon at an alarming rate. He felt as if Nico wouldn't get enough sleep by the time it was dark. And the son of Hades had made him swear on the River Styx to wake him a few hours after sundown (for which he kept his word).

"I'm up," Nico mumbled as he slowly sat up. Blindly, he caught Jason's lips in a lazy, sloppy kiss. Then he titled his head, creating an angle that deepened the kiss. As Nico crawled on top of him, onto his lap, Jason's brain thought it would be helpful to remind him that the younger was still only wearing one piece of clothing. It was most certainly _not_ helpful.

Jason realized his hands were still hanging at his sides and he had to _do something_ with them, so he wrapped both his arms around Nico, pulling him impossibly closer. The action rubbed their crotches together in the most pleasurable way. Nico, who probably felt the most friction, practically purred in Jason's ear. Jason shuddered in response. Their lips met again, and Jason couldn't help but wonder how it was possible for Nico di Angelo to get him so worked up with simple touches and gazes. The guy was driving him insane and it took him little effort to do so.

"What was it you wanted to show me?" Jason inquired the next time they pulled away. Nico scowled at him like he'd just killed all the fun before scooting away. He grabbed his jeans and pulled them on. A lamp in the corner drew Nico's silhouette on the wall of the tent. When his pants were on, he gestured for Jason to follow him and then crawled out of the tent. Nico was already on his feet by the time Jason made it out. "So... What now?"

"[Walk with me.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JigjU373SKY)"

Nico flashed him a brilliant smile. His face was dimly lit by the lights of the town behind them and the shadows were naturally drawn to Nico. But Jason returned his smile with just as much brilliance, thinking— _knowing_ —he was the luckiest guy in the universe at that very instant. Nico took his hand, intertwining their fingers, and pulled him away from the campsite. Jason followed him without hesitation.

Maybe it was dangerous how quickly he let his guard down around Nico. Maybe his instincts were being deterred by his emotions. Jason didn't care. He couldn't remember a single time in his life that he'd ever felt this way. Just being in someone's presence had never felt so exhilerating. Every thing Jason did felt twice as incredible when it was done with Nico at his side. And each time, it felt completely new and refreshing. He intoxicated him, invaded his senses, yet somehow managed to heighten them as well.

Nico di Angelo was like no demigod Jason Grace had ever seen before, and he was rapidly falling head-over-heels for him.

Wait, no. No, that wasn't quite right. Jason was _already_ in love with Nico—he was just finally starting to realize it.

"One time," Nico spoke up suddenly. He swung their arms slightly as they walked, like they were a young couple taking a walk down one of the paths in Central Park. Jason knew Nico was about to launch into one of his stories. That was always how he did it: in the middle of silence, speaking suddenly, always with, One time... and always about something that somehow correlated to the present situation. "I was up on Mount Olympus and—"

"The Empire State Building?" Jason cut in. Nico shot him a look that said, _Don't interrupt or I'll strangle you_ before continuing.

"Yes. Anyway, it was just after the Battle of Manhattan. All the Olympians were up there. My dad was there. We were together. After the meeting that decided the fate of the main heroes—you know, Percy, Annabeth, all of them—there was an after party. Everyone was celebrating. I was never really much for partying but I was in a pretty good mood that day." Jason felt Nico shrug his shoulders. "At some point during the party, I met Urania, one of the nine Muses. She's also the goddess of astronomy. One of her exes, Amphimaros, was giving her trouble and I just happened to be nearby so I swooped in and posed as her current mortal delicacy. In return for my heroism, she promised me a favor. I told her it was fine, but she insisted. I didn't think I would ever need the favor... until now."

When Nico stopped talking, Jason realized they'd also come to a stop. The lights of the city were far enough behind them that Jason had trouble seeing Nico's face, but close enough that he could still see them in the distance. It somewhat baffled him that the son of Hades could see in the dark. Then it occurred to him that he was fairly familiar with the Underworld, where there was no sun. Of course he would be able to navigate in the darkness with ease. While Nico could see probably perfectly right now, Jason was still waiting for his eyes to adjust. The younger of the two said nothing more for a while, and the only sounds were their breathing and the occasional truck or car honking in the distance. Every so often, a cricket sang a happy song.

Finally, Nico squeezed Jason's hand. The gesture was gentle and barely there, so much so that Jason wouldn't have even caught it if he hadn't been paying close attention. By then, Jason's eyesight had adapted enough to the darkness that he could start to makeout Nico's face and the shapes of shrubs on the ground and the walls of stone structures looming above and around them. Nico stepped in front of Jason and smiled a small smile. Both of his hands were now holding Jason's. Nico pressed a quick, chaste kiss on the older of the two's lips. Then he nodded upwards once, pointedly, before staring up at the sky. Jason followed his movements.

"[ _Woah_.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRpzJabYlQQ)"

"I know," Nico responded. Jason glanced down momentarily to study his boyfriend's face. He was grinning from ear to ear. Then he looked back at the sky. Here, away from all city lights and light pollution... You could see _everything_. The moon was nowhere to be found but the sky was brilliant and illuminated by hundreds, thousands, _millions_ of stars. Jason could see the Milky Way galaxy. He could see it. Of course, Earth was in it but that hardly mattered. The sky looked absolutely incredible. Magnificent. Amazing. Majestic. Stunning. Jason's eyes drifted back down to Nico. _Nico_ was stunning. Jason stole a kiss from him, only pulling away so they could both look at the sky again, which was when a streak of light caught his attention.

"Dude!" Jason whispered/yelled excitedly. "Was that a shooting star?"

"Yeah. There's been a meteor shower for the past few weeks. The peak is tonight." As if on cue, a few more meteorites darted across the sky. "This is the Delta Aquariid shower. The meteors originate from... uh... Pegasus, I think. The constellation, I mean, not the actual... Hey, don't be mean!"

Jason had been making faces at Nico and didn't expect to get caught. He laughed though and so did Nico, whole and hearty and with his entire being. And then they both looked back up at the sky. Shooting stars chased each other across the sky in a celestial mashup of tag and hide-and-seek. _It's beautiful_ , Jason thought. He could think of one thing, however, that could compare to it.

"By the way," Nico said, his eyes still smiling as much as his lips, "did you make a wish?"

"[I don't need to](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxKjOOR9sPU). Everything I could have ever wanted is standing right here in front of me."

Jason hadn't actually meant to say that out loud but Nico was smiling so fondly at him that he refused to regret it. And gods, he just couldn't help that it was the truth. Standing in front of him was the most beautiful boy Jason had ever met, who'd gone out of his way to take him to the middle of nowhere to see a meteor shower against a sky illuminated by the universe. And Nico. Nico was smiling and his eyes told him he was happy and his hair was framing his face perfectly even though Jason's vision still hadn't adjusted enough to see it all that well. Jason let go of Nico's hands so he could reach up and cup his face instead. He studied every inch of his face, drinking in every little feature he could make out, every freckle, every dip and curve, every shape. His long eyelashes. His eyes, dark as coal, pupils blown wide. His perfectly-arched eyebrows. His dark hair that hung into his eyes. His thin but still slightly plump lips. His signature smirk. _Him_.

The only thing more beautiful than the sky above them, Jason decided, was Nico di Angelo.

And with that thought in mind, he leaned forward and kissed him with all the passion he could muster.

 

 

*     *     *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What has been your favorite scene/chapter so far in this story?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Weren't expecting that now, were you? Mwahahaha. I hope that makes up for the lateness. I also hope you're prepared for the chapters to come. This is just the beginning. And don't forget to leave comments! I love comments!! All of them. Bad, good, mediocre, "please update", etc. I just love feedback! Anyway, thanks for reading! I really hope you liked it! :) x


	9. In A Coffee Shop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Jason is inspired.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hello. It's been ages. I apologize. I hope I can make it up to you as this little work draws to a close. There's only a few more chapters left, but I hope you enjoy them!!
> 
> Also, this chapter is really a filler more than anything but I still hope you like it! :)
> 
> MOOD: "Have I Told You Lately" by Rod Stewart

*     *     *

 

 **JASON KNEW IN HIS HEART** that he was in love with Nico.

It didn't take a genius to figure out how deep his feelings for Nico went. Gods, how did this even _happen_?

Back when Nico was on the Argo II, all of them headed for the House of Hades, he'd actually been _scared_ of Nico. He was worried about Nico potentially hurting him. In time, he'd learned that his show of power had been exactly that—a show. Regardless of what people thought, Nico actually wouldn't hurt any demigod unless they threatened him or hurt him somehow. Most of the time, unless given a reason, Nico di Angelo was all bark and no bite. His aura of death and reputation as the son of Hades had helped him appear more threatening but nowadays, Nico was a huge softie. In fact, Nico was the biggest softie Jason knew. This scary son of Hades façade was nothing more than that unless Nico felt particularly inclined to use that side of him. Nico was a nerd who loved to cuddle and watch Disney movies and, for the most part, enjoyed mentoring younger demigods though he'd never admit it out loud. And _gods_ , was Jason in love with him.

The problem was that Jason was terrified of saying it. Just like before, he was fearful of ruining what he had with Nico by expressing his feelings. He knew now that Nico returned his feelings but how deeply? Was Nico just crushing on Jason? Did he love him? Was he _in_ love with him? Did he just _think_ he was in love with him? Some of his questions were just plain ridiculous, but that didn't stop them from entering the son of Jupiter's mind.

That night in Moab, Jason had almost said the words. As soon as he realized what he was saying, he transitioned to another sentence. Nico looked a little confused as to why he liked thinking about potato chips and why he felt the need to express this at such a time, ultimately killing the romantic vibe that they'd been shrouded in at the time. Jason played it off as if he was completely fine but the sound of his heart hammering in his chest coupled with the artificial smile he tried to muster hadn't been very reassuring.

After that, they had spent the next fourteen or so hours sleeping and cuddling before stopping at the McDonald's for a meal and then heading out for Oakland, California. Nico never let go of his hand.

"We should probably let your sister know we're here," Jason told Nico, who was half laying on top of him. Not that he minded. Jason was pretty sure Nico could lead him to the crater rim of an active volcano as it was erupting and he still wouldn't mind.

"Later," Nico murmured as he gave Jason's hand a small squeeze.

He could've laid there all day, but Reyna was probably expecting him to meet with her as soon as he arrived and Hazel would have their heads if he didn't make sure Nico at least stopped by briefly to say hi. That was not something he was looking forward to. So, despite the noises of protest Nico made, Jason sat up and began to make his way off the bed they'd collapsed onto... only to be pulled back by the hand still holding his. Nico pouted at him, batting his eyelashes around innocent, doe eyes.

"Oh, come on, Jason. We just got here. I'm sure they can wait."

The tone of his voice was nowhere near innocent, but Jason did have a little self-control left in him. He smiled at Nico before moving again off the bed. Nico pulled him back once more but this time, he went a step further. Nico shifted onto Jason's lap, straddling him, a smirk finding its way to his lips. He pressed his lips to Jason's, his hands filtering through his hair aimlessly. Jason went along with it, letting his defenses slip for just a moment. Then Nico moved to his neck.

"Nico," Jason mumbled in protest. The son of Hades pulled away, his lips glossy and immediately forming a smirk.

"Yes?" he spoke, one hand abandoning Jason's hair to trail down his torso only to slip under the fabric of his t-shirt and roam around beneath it.

"This isn't going to work, Neeks. I hope you know that. You're not as good at distracting me as I am to you."

"We'll see about that," Nico said, and then went in for the kill. Jason laughed and pushed Nico away completely this time. The boy pouted again as Jason finally made his way off the bed and let go of his hand. Jason traipsed to the bathroom to make sure he looked presentable before walking out and grabbing his sweater from the bed.

"I'm gonna go talk to Reyna and Frank, tell them we're here and stuff. You should go see Hazel. Just say hi or something. I'll be back in an hour or so."

"An hour?" Nico asked with the raise of an eyebrow. "Does it really take an hour to talk to them?"

Jason raised his arms in surrender, trying to play it cool. Don't blow it, he told himself. Don't blow it. Don't blow it. Don't blow it.

"I might also grab some fresh banana cream pie at the bakery and a pizza," Jason replied. He hoped Nico didn't catch how his voice raised half an octave. "Maybe."

"Okay, I'll go see Hazel in.. I don't know—twenty minutes? Yeah, around then." Nico crawled to the edge of the bed to give Jason a kiss. "See you later."

Jason smiled at his boyfriend, his body filling him warmth, before heading for the front of the building and out the door into the cool, northern California air.

 

 

The villa Nico was given in New Rome was a bit far from the barracks in Camp Jupiter but that was fine by Jason. The walk would allow Jason to reminisce in old times. Even today, Jason's memories of his old life in the Twelfth Legion seemed like a dream—like those memories weren't actually his. And walking down the streets of New Rome, Jason felt like he was playing a movie in his head and it was giving him the weirdest sense of deja vu. _Obviously_ , he actually _had_ experienced all of them before—they were _his_ memories, after all—but they still didn't feel quite right to him.

Jason eyed the Italian restaurant on the corner of the street. Would Nico like it? He was Italian, after all... Or would it be too cheesy? Or would the food not really be Italian? Would Nico be able to tell?

 _Note to self: Give Piper an Iris Message_ , Jason thought before immediately deciding against it. Going to his ex-girlfriend for advice on where to take his boyfriend on a date probably wasn't a good idea. Besides, nothing Jason would ever do could match up to what Nico did for him last night. That was, by far, the best date Jason had ever been on, and he didn't think any date he took Nico on would compare to what he'd probably consider one of the best night's of his life. Hopefully, it would still be enough.

"Hey, Jason!" a cheerful Gwen greeted as she fell into step right next to the former praetor. "I didn't know you were here."

"Hi, Gwen. I just got here, actually." He almost mentioned Nico was with him too, but decides it's not necessarily important information. "I'm on my way to talk to Reyna right now."

"Oh, uh..." Gwen suddenly looked very interested in the ground.

"What?" Jason asked, narrowing his eyes in vague suspicion.

"Nothing!" Gwen probably realized her response came too quickly and to high-pitched to be believable because, in a much more controlled tone, she said, "Uh, I mean, nothing. Just... well, um, good luck!"

Then she darted off without so much as an explanation, leaving Jason completely puzzled. Deciding not to dwell on what that could possibly have meant, Jason continued on his way to the barracks. The god Terminus greeted him at the Pomerian Line with a stern look and returned his coin to him. Then Jason traipsed to the the barracks.

Walking through the halls felt strange to Jason after having not set foot in them for so long. The last time he's been in the building had been in... _November_ , Jason realized with a start. That was over a year ago, just before he lost his memory. That was also the last time he'd been at Camp Jupiter, not counting the few hours spent in the city before Leo was possessed by an eidolon and fired on the camp. That didn't even really count. He hadn't been here in _ages_. No wonder it felt so foreign yet so eerily familiar. After losing his memory and gaining it back, he still hadn't spent enough time here to remember what his home was, despite Camp Jupiter being his home for years. The idea was almost enough to make his heart ache, but he knew he could never truly feel homesick for this place. He may have been born a Roman, but Jason would always be Greek at heart.

Jason knocked firmly on the door of Reyna's private barrack. As the praetors of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata, she and Frank each had their own private room. Jason recalled that they weren't really that much different than the regular barracks—they just had four walls for more privacy and contained a little more space. Still, despite the fact that there were minimal differences, it was nice to have a space all to yourself instead of sharing it with the other people in your cohort.

"Coming!" she called, her voice slightly high-pitched. This was strange. Jason always knew Reyna's voice to be level and controlled, always guarded. And when the door opened, an even weirder sight: Reyna was dressed in casual attire—a purple, Camp Jupiter t-shirt and denim shorts—but everything about it was all wrong. Her shirt was disheveled as well as her hair, the hem riding up in places. Her shorts were also disheveled and low on her hips, and she wasn't wearing shoes or socks—which she always wore in the case that New Rome was ever under attack. Her dagger wasn't sheathed at her waist like it usually was, and her dogs were nowhere to be found. Despite all this, her greeting this time came more level. "Welcome back, Jason."

"Thank you." Jason watched her eyes sweep the corridor behind him. "Nico's visiting Hazel."

"Alright. What are you doing here?"

Jason's eyebrows knitted together. "I have to get the blueprints for the shrines."

"Oh," she said. Her eyes darted around quickly before focusing on Jason once more. "Right. We can do that tomorrow. Goodbye."

She began to shut the door, but Jason stopped her.

"Hey, Reyna, come on. I need the file."

Reyna scowled. "Get it tomorrow, Jason."

"But—"

A third voice cut him off.

"Reyna," the voice whined. "We never get to be alone."

Jason's eyes widened. " _Piper?!_ "

His ex-girlfriend appeared behind Reyna, wrapping her arms loosely around the praetor. He started to notice that both their cheeks were flushed, both their lips were bruised from what could _only_ be kissing, Reyna's zipper was undone and so on. Jason could feel his cheeks darken as realization struck him. _Oh_.

"Um, uh. I'll be back, uh, tomorrow or something," Jason stammered. Reyna nodded, like she knew all along that he'd give in, and slammed the door shut. Not even a second later, something was shoved roughly against the door. Unfortunately, Jason had a pretty good idea of what was happening on the other side of the door. In an effort to get that strange occurrence out of his mind, he began to think about what he was going to do for a date. He still had no clue what he was going to do. Nothing original came to mind. Dinner and a movie? That was way too common. Apparently, that's the most common date idea nowadays.

 _Wait_.

Jason turned on his heel as soon as he left the building and began to make his way back to the barracks. He found the Second Cohort with ease and searched for an old comrade, Nathan Ortiz. It took a bit of asking around but he soon discovered Nathan was working at a cafe in New Rome. So he headed there first.

The cafe was relatively busy when he arrived there and everyone seemed to know exactly who he is. It was a bit unnerving to have everyone's eyes on him despite the fact that he was no longer praetor, but he didn't focus on that too much. Nathan was sitting in a booth, in what was obviously his uniform. Jason walked over immediately, too worried about having the perfect date idea to think about possibly inconveniencing the guy.

"Hey," Jason greeted.

Nathan glanced up. "Jason, hey. I didn't know you were here."

"Yeah. I just got here today." Jason paused to look around briefly, a habit he'd developed over his time on the Argo II, constantly on high alert for danger. "Do you have a minute?"

Nathan glanced at the register before nodding and gesturing to the seat in front of him. "Sure."

Jason smiled and took a seat across from him, silent for a moment as he gathered his thoughts. "Um, so... I kind of need to ask a favor."

Jason explained his situation to Nathan and what exactly his favor included. He knew that Nathan knew the area outside of Camp Jupiter fairly well, especially compared to others. He was one of the few legionnaires who spent time not within New Rome. If there was anyone Jason could go to about this favor, it was Nathan. He was the only one (that Jason knew of) who could possibly help him out.

"There's one in Oakland," Nathan said, his eyes darting from the table to Jason's face. "But where will you get a car?"

"Is the auto shop still open?"

"No."

Jason pursed his lips. "Well, I'll figure out something."

"Okay. I heard you and Piper broke up though. I guess you've got a new girlfriend then?"

Jason hesitated before watching his old friend's face carefully, gauging his reaction to his next words: "Uh, boyfriend, actually."

Nathan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He stared out the window. "Oh. That's new."

"Yeah. I know. It's... uh... yeah. Anyway, do you have any idea where I could get a car?"

"You can ask some of Vulcan's kids. Might take a day or too."

Jason was glad the Roman names of the gods were still rooted in his memory. If he'd grown up Greek, he would've been stumped, just as the kids at Camp Half-Blood were whenever he said a Roman god's name instead of the Greek form.

"That should work," Jason murmured, his mind beginning to wander yet again.

"So who is your boyfriend?"

"Nico."

"Whoa. Really?"

"Yeah." Jason let out a breathy laugh. "I never imagined I'd be dating Nico but gods, he's kind of amazing."

"How long have you guys been dating?"

Jason's cheeks darkened. "Not long."

"Really? With the way you talk about him—I don't know—I'd think you guys had been dating for at least several months."

"We've gotten really close."

"It sounds like it." Nathan glanced back towards the register. "Well, I've got to get back to my shift now, but good luck with getting your date to work out."

"Thanks."

They both exchanged friendly smiles before Nathan headed off. Jason sat there in the booth for a moment, setting up a mental to-do list. He would have to visit the Vulcan kids first to ensure his ride, then plan the actual date. He would also need to borrow a computer so he could make sure he knew the location and so he could pick something Nico would like. Then he'd have to check on all the details and double-check them and then _triple_ -check them—just to be sure. And then they'd have their date. Assuming everything went well. Jason prayed to Aphrodite it all would.

Jason left the cafe shortly after deciding on his schedule. Locating a child of Vulcan's was easy. Convincing them to help was slightly more difficult but it only took a little extra persuasion (and a little bribe) for them to finally agree to help him. His self-driving car would be ready by tomorrow evening at the latest. And thank the gods Jason thought to ask about an autopilot option. If he hadn't, the car would've been rendered useless—Jason had never learned how to drive, had never needed to. Then again, Jason had harnessed the winds and steered them across the Mediterranean. That couldn't be much different from driving a car, could it?

Tracking down a computer proved to be a much more difficult task. It was common knowledge that demigods didn't really use much technology, especially cell phones. Computers were a different story. They weren't commonly used in the lives of demigods, so their potential of attracting monsters was unknown. Some demigods decided to stay away from them, not willing to risk their lives for such a luxury. Others either didn't care or didn't think it was dangerous. The cases of legionnaires who'd been attacked by a monster while using a computer was at a 50-50 ratio. So it was up to a person whether they used them or not, and many Romans decided against using it. (In the meantime, the Greeks went batshit crazy over being able to use them.)

Jason asked everyone he could at Camp Jupiter until finally— _finally_ —one person in the Fifth Cohort named Ash let him borrow their Dell Chromebook. It took him a few minutes to adjust to the small laptop and figure out what exactly he should Google but soon, he had the address scribbled on a borrowed sticky note as well as the closest McDonald's. It was only about twenty minutes from New Rome and the McDonald's was on the way. There was a Dairy Queen on the way back. It was _perfect!_

 _I really hope he likes it_ , Jason thought as he began to make his way back to the villa. It had been well over an hour but the scolding from Nico would be well-worth it if he liked the date Jason had planned. If everything worked out. If he loved it. Gods, Jason hoped he loved it. It paled in comparison to Nico's, but he hoped it would be enough. _Please, Aphrodite, let it be enough._

A half-asleep Nico greeted him at the door (Jason didn't have a key) and coaxed him to bed to nap, saying that so long as Jason showered him with cuddles and kisses, he wouldn't utter a single word about how long he'd taken to return. Jason agreed, but he got the better end of the deal. He would've showered him with cuddles and kisses any day without reason. And he was more than happy to do so now. The content smile on Nico's face was worth it. It would always be worth it.

 

*     *     *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: Do you have any idea what Jason might be doing? Hint: It requires a car (but I'm sure you guessed that).  
> BONUS QUESTION: Jason began hinting that he's insecure about possibly not being enough for Nico. Why do you think that is?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Well, I hope you enjoyed! Also, there's going to be three more chapters in Nico's POV and then a little epilogue in third person omniscient. Are you excited? 'Cause I sure am!!
> 
> Comments and kudos are very much welcome! :) x


	10. Free Falling

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico tells him the truth.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE:
> 
> Hey, I've actually updated on time(ish) this week! Yay!!
> 
> Anyway, I really hope you like this chapter. It's the longest one, by far, and you'll finally get to see what Jason has planned. I'm sure you already have an idea based on the minor reveal from the last chapter but, you know, I've left enough to the imagination.
> 
> Again, hover over any Italian words for their English translation. (If you speak the language, feel free to correct me.) Enjoy! :)
> 
> P.S. There will be some SPOILERS for Big Hero 6. Just a warning for that, in case you want to see it.
> 
> MOOD: "Force of Nature" by Bea Miller

  

 

 

*     *     *

 

  
**NICO ROLLED OVER IN BED** , startled to find the other occupant missing.

That had been happening a lot the past few days: Nico and Jason would fall asleep together, only for Nico to wake up alone. It was really strange because he'd gotten used to waking up to Jason at least _near_ him. Having him _not_ there... Well, Nico didn't like it. Unfortunately, there was virtually nothing he could do about it. And he never pried, but he did notice how giddy Jason became after returning (which was very late). Jason always seemed so cheerful and excited when he came back from wherever it was he disappeared off to.

Nico didn't want it to, but his mind drifted to the worst-case scenario: Jason was cheating on him. But Nico knew that was ridiculous. If he didn't want to be in a relationship with him, Jason could have easily said no to him and dated whomever he wanted. Jason could _have_ whoever he wanted. So that possibility was just really unlikely. Nico was just overreacting.

But gods, the curiosity was going to kill him if he didn't figure it out.

There had to be a way.

Nico sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed. Then he stood and began to get dressed.

Was he really about to do this? Wasn't it rude to stalk your boyfriend? Didn't this imply that Nico didn't trust Jason? But that wouldn't make sense. He _did_ trust Jason—with every fiber of his being. He was just curious is all. He just wanted to know what the guy was up to. It must be pretty cool, if Jason was excited. Maybe he was just excited that he finally got to start on working on the shrines. (Yeah, right.) Maybe he was excited because the blueprints for one of them looked really good. (Did Jason know how to read blueprints?) But Nico had no way of knowing that, and Jason certainly hadn't taken it upon himself to share.

Needless to say, curiosity killed the cat.

  

* * *

 

Having gone three days without shadow-travelling, Nico felt well-rested and his shadow-jump was pretty easy. However, trying to shadow travel through a person's location was much more difficult than travelling to a specific location. So when Nico stumbled out of the shadows, he had no clue where he was. He took in his surroundings, scanning for any signs of immediate danger. After years of travelling on his own, that habit had instilled itself in him. He didn't think it would ever go away. Being a powerful son of the Big Three who preferred to travel alone, maybe that was a good thing.

He started walking to his right, following the sounds of congested Roman streets. He wasn't as familiar with New Rome as he liked to think he was, and it proved true when Nico realized he was lost. But he continued to explore, because if envisioning Jason brought him here, the son of Jupiter was around here somewhere—he just had to find him. 

A flash of blond hair caught his eye. Nico turned to it and found exactly the guy he was looking for disappearing into an unmarked building. _Gotcha_.

"Nico?" Nico's eyes focused in front of him at a smiling Reyna, who approached him with Piper at her side. "Have you been avoiding me?"

"Of course not," Nico replied. "Just been... busy, I guess. Uh, hi, Piper."

Nico wasn't sure where he and Piper stood. For the most part, she seemed to be nice to him and didn't appear to be upset that he was dating her ex. That _could_  have been because she now had a super hot, badass maybe-girlfriend... but Nico didn't want to flaunt Jason around her in case it might hit a sore spot. The last thing Nico needed were was an angry, jealous ex and her angry, protective girlfriend consumed with the need to kick his ass.

"Hi, Nico." Her smile seemed genuine enough for Nico to give in to the urge to return it. Then he glanced past them, where Jason was exiting the unmarked building and heading down the street.

"Um, if you guys will excuse me—"

Nico started to head towards Jason but Piper grabbed his arm and pulled him back.

"Not so fast, lover boy. We've got orders to keep you busy."

"What?" Nico demanded.

"Jason knew you would eventually try to follow him," Reyna explained. "Besides, we have some catching up to do."

Nico's shoulders slumped as he watched Jason disappear around a corner.

"Well, don't look so disappointed," Reyna said with a laugh. "Let's all hang out! Lunch on me."

Nico couldn't pass up that offer.

 

* * *

 

Reyna and Piper kept him busy for _hours_ until he was finally permitted to go home. Unfortunately, he was so tired that he actually did head straight to his villa. Much to his surprise, Jason was already there waiting for him. As soon as he was through the front door, he was shoved against it, catching only a flash of blond hair to indicate who was there.

"Woah," he murmured as Jason attacked his neck.

"I don't know how I managed to go this entire day without kissing you," Jason said when they pulled away. Nico laughed.

"Well, you could've been here if you wanted." Nico paused. "We could do that tomorrow, you know—just spend the entire day together."

"Yeah. We could." Nico narrowed his eyes in suspicion of the tone of Jason's voice.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"No, no. Tell me," Nico insisted. "What are you planning?"

Jason grinned. "I can't tell you. Not yet, anyway. You'll see."

Nico crossed his arms over his chest, frowning, and stomped his foot childishly. Jason wrapped his arms around Nico, still grinning, and leaned in to peck Nico on the lips. He laughed as Nico pouted. "Oh, come on, Nico. You'll find out soon enough."

"No."

"Nico."

"No." Nico stuck his tongue out at Jason. "I don't like you right now."

"Oh, come on!" Jason exclaimed, laughing. Nico glared at him. Jason's laughter cut short, but the amused smile on his face didn't fade.

"No. Let go of me."

"You're adorable."

"Shut up."

Jason's smile transformed into a smirk. He leaned in closer to Nico's ear, so close that his lips brushed against his skin when he spoke. " _Make me._ "

Nico shivered.

_Well, if you insist_. Nico pressed his lips to Jason's, clearly surprising the older demigod. He used the element of surprise to free himself from Jason's arms. He rested his hands flat against the older's chest, pushing him backwards into a wall. Jason tried to switch their positions but Nico was having none of it. He pushed Jason away and continued to push him until they made it to the bedroom. He pushed Jason until they were completely in the bedroom and pushed him until Jason was halted by the bed and pushed him down onto it. Nico crawled into his lap without hesitation and found his lips once more.

"If you ever want me to shut up," Jason said when they parted for air, "this is a very effective way of getting me to."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Clearly not."

Jason just laughed, apparently more than please with Nico's reaction. Instead of commenting further, however, Jason just kissed him. He kissed him and kissed him and kissed him, and Nico exploded with emotion.

 

* * *

 

Jason disappeared the next morning, but Nico had a vague memory of waking up a first time to kisses and blond hair and warmth before he was lulled back to sleep. It could've very well been a dream but Nico liked to believe it wasn't. Besides, Jason returned by noon and promised to stay with him the rest of the day. They walked through the streets of New Rome together, holding hands. People stared at them and whispered among themselves, causing Nico to blush furiously because he _knew_ they were talking about them. These people were talking Jason and Nico—former praetor of the legion and current Ambassador of Pluto—because they were obviously a couple.

Nico never imagined he would enjoy having attention on him, but right now? Nico wanted to shout, "THIS IS MY BOYFRIEND, JASON GRACE!" from the rooftops. He wanted to grab Jason's face and kiss him silly in front of everyone, not caring if their PDA bothered them. He wanted to take Jason to Portugal and get them both _farturas_. He wanted to gossip with Aphrodite about how _dreamy_ Jason was. He wanted to tell the world who his boyfriend was and how amazing he was. He wanted to tell his _dad_ , of all people. Gods, he just wanted everyone to know how _happy_ he was to be in a relationship with such a beautifully, wonderfully, outrageously amazing person.

Nico didn't even think he could be this happy. After everything that happened, he hadn't even though he would _ever_ be happy. But he was. He had wanted nothing more, for a long time, than to be happy. And gods, he just _was._

"So," Jason said as they returned to the villa, "I was thinking of going on a date tonight."

Nico glanced over his shoulder at the son of Jupiter as he fumbled with his keys. "Tonight?"

"Yeah. You need to say yes because I already have plans."

Nico snorted. "How romantic."

Jason just smiled at him, like he always did when Nico made a sarcastic comment. He shut the door behind them and they both went to the living room, collapsing half on top of each other on the sofa.

"I've got a car coming for us at six. Is that okay?"

"Do you even have to ask?" Nico murmured as he buried his head into Jason's neck. "I'll go anywhere with you."

"Good," Jason replied.

"Where are we going?"

"Eh, nothing special. Just dinner and a movie."

"Yeah, right. If that was the case, I doubt you would've been so secretive about it."

And Jason just grinned.

They watched TV for a couple of hours before Jason said they should both get ready. Nico let out a sound of protest when Jason stood up from the couch. He just felt so comfy right there, all wrapped up in the son of Jupiter's warm embrace. He could stay there forever. But Jason left the living room and went to the bedroom. Upon realizing Nico hadn't followed him, he poked his head through the doorway and beckoned Nico towards him. Reluctantly, he stood and headed to the bedroom.

On the bed, Jason laid out two dark-colored tuxedos. To the untrained, modern eye, the tuxes looked like every other tux in the world. Although Nico's childhood memories were still a bit fuzzy, he recognized the style easily. They were both popular formal wear in the 30s for rich men. Nico recalled seeing men in the gondolas wearing these kinds of suits, headed for dinner parties or whatever. And these tuxedos looked identical. They were made of soft material and dark, midnight blue in color. Both had peaked lapels, soft turndown collars, and were paired with narrow, pleated shirts. Two pairs of dress shoes sat on the floor in front of the bed, respective to each tux.

Nico couldn't help the first thought that came to his mind: _Holy Styx, these must be expensive_.

"I wasn't too sure about all your sizes. I just snuck a look at your drawers. I hope that's alright."

Nico didn't answer. He simply _couldn't_ answer. He was still gaping, his eyes wide in disbelief. His mouth wouldn't cooperate but maybe that was a good thing. Nico was pretty sure if he tried to speak, his words would be a jumbled mess of nonsense.

"Do you like it?"

He met Jason's gaze and felt warmth course through him when he saw the nervousness in the older demigod's eyes. Jason Grace—who'd kept a level head when he and Nico were harassed by Cupid, who'd stood up to the ruler of Olympus within minutes of making a good impression, who'd defended Nico to his friends, who'd done so many brave things without ever doubting himself—was _nervous_.

Was it possible to fall in love with the same person over and over again? Nico was pretty sure he proved the answer was yes.

"Gods, Jason, of _course_ I do!" Tentatively, he picked up the tux, his fingers barely grazing the material. He was careful not to make any creases or wrinkles. Then Nico snorted. "Dinner and a movie, my ass."

"It is!" Jason said indignantly.

"Where? _Milan?_ "

"You're so mean to me. Go get ready."

Nico's eyebrows shot up. "Snappy."

"You're rubbing off on me."

Nico rolled his eyes but a smile found its way to his face. He headed for the restroom to prepare, bringing the tuxedo in with him and hanging it on the towel rack. He hurriedly showered and got ready. He tried to make his hair look the least bit decent but it refused to cooperate with him. Naturally. Giving up, he just dried it with a towel and finger-brushed it until it looked orderly. Then he put on the tuxedo.

Nico wasn't very confident in his appearance and would never consider himself attractive but _damn_ , he looked good. He couldn't help but stand there and admire the view the mirror was giving him. The suit seemed to accentuate the sharpness of Nico's body, making all his angles pop out. Simultaneously, he looked more like he had meat on his body as opposed to just being skin and bones. It wasn't black, Nico's obvious go-to pick in color, but it was still dark enough that Nico couldn't complain. Plus, the color looked pretty good on him, surprisingly enough.

Jason Grace had an _exquisite_ taste in formal wear.

When Nico stepped into the living room to ask Jason's opinion, the demigod in question was in the middle of downing a glass of water. And when said demigod caught sight of the younger half-blood, his eyes tripled in size. He choked on his water and immediately broke into a coughing fit. Nico rushed over, smacking his back in an attempt to stop the fit. Several minutes later, after Jason finally calmed down, Nico let out a laugh.

"Don't be mean," Jason complained. Nico smiled fondly at him and leaned forward, pressing a sweet kiss to his lips.

"Go finish getting ready, _amore mio_."

Jason was done in a matter of minutes. When Nico finally caught a glimpse of him, he had no idea how he'd be able to control himself from completely devouring the son of Jupiter. The tux hugged his body in all the right ways. The dark blue color made Jason's eyes gleam in too many shades of blue for Nico to count. Nico never wanted him to take it off... but he also wanted to rip it off his body. In short, Nico thought Jason looked absolutely stunning. Nico was sure he would melt into a puddle of hormones and gay before the night was over. Maybe even before they left the villa.

They both stared at each other for the longest time. Nico allowed himself to revel in just how good-looking and well-built Jason was. He recalled what it felt like to kiss him, to have his body pressed against him, to feel Jason's heated skin under his icy fingertips. His eyes wandered up and down the body of the older demigod, hyperaware of Jason's eyes doing the same to him. The sexual tension in the air was drawn as taut as a bowstring. Nico wondered who would be the first to break it.

"I have hats," Jason blurted suddenly.

"No way," Nico said. Jason turned to a storage chest that had always sat in the corner of the living room, which Nico had never bothered to touch. From inside, he produced a midnight black fedora with a simple black band and a dark grey porkpie hat with a black flat bow. He stared at the two hats, amazed. "Oh my gods, no freaking way."

 "Which one do you want?"

"Give me the fedora. I'd look weird with a porkpie on," Nico replied after pausing a moment to think.

Jason stared cluelessly between the two hats in his hands. "I have no idea which one is which."

Nico's lips curled upwards. He took the porkpie and put it on Jason's head, positioning it in the style he remembered seeing in the ads printed and posted on buildings when he was young. Then he did the same with the fedora on his head, sifting a hand through his hair in order to make it look neater. Nico stepped back and bit his lip as he watched Jason run his fingers along the brim of his hat. For a moment, he felt like a kid again. Growing up, he'd always dreamt of dressing up in a tux and pretending he was going to do some important business in Rome, Florence, or Milan. Now, with both him and Jason dressed in sleek, dark tuxedos, he felt like they were gentlemen spies preparing for their next mission: to attend a fancy dinner party and infiltrate the palace in which it was being held.

A honk sounded from outside.

"That's our ride," Jason said. He traipsed over to the front door and opened it, allowing Nico to slip through. While Nico locked the door, Jason headed for the car and collected the keys from whomever was driving. The driver had left by the time Nico was finished. He gaped at their ride, a 1935 Hispano-Suiza K6 Cabriolet convertible. It was black and shiny and looked brand new. He had only ever seen these cars in ads, since in Venice, everyone's mode of transportation was either by boat or by foot. Cars were nonexistent. A mantra of _no way, no way, no way_ repeated itself in Nico's mind. Jason casually strolled to Nico's side of the car and opened the passenger door. After he shut it, he jogged around the front of the car and slid into the driver's side.

"Jason."

" _Si?_ "

"Do you know how to drive?" Nico asked, eyeing the steering wheel warily. "How did you even get a car— _this_ car?"

"Never learned," Jason answered nonchalantly. "I just called in some favors."

Nico didn't like the thought of a person who'd never been in Driver's Ed behind the wheel and even suggested he summon his zombie chauffeur, Jules-Albert, to drive them instead, but Jason vetoed the idea. He then explained that it was self-driving.

"Oh." Nico's grip on the edge of his chair loosened. "Okay."

It took a few minutes for Jason to figure out how to work everything, but he eventually got the hang of it and set the car to some kind of semi-autopilot setting so that the vehicle would drive itself but Jason could still guide it to their destination. And then they were off. Until a thought occurred to Nico.

"Jason, how are you going to get out of here?" Nico asked. "The only exit is the Caldecott Tunnel."

"Don't worry," Jason said carefully. People kept staring at the car as if they'd never seen one before. They'd probably never seen one in Camp Jupiter before, though. "I was hoping the Mist was on our side."

"What?" Jason ignored him and began directing the car towards Camp Jupiter's only exit. Nico stared at him with wide eyes. "Shit."

"Don't worry," he said again. "It'll be fine."

"Shit, shit, shit."

Jason turned on the headlights as they entered the tunnel. How did they even  _fit_ in there? He didn't remember the tunnel being this wide. Then again, it wasn't like he recorded the width of all the tunnels he'd been in.

" _Merda!_  Oh my gods!" Nico shouted as they exited the tunnel. Jason swerved onto the 24 Freeway heading northeast. Some cars honked but it didn't take long for things to settle back down and then they were just driving down the freeway. Nico relaxed in his seat. " _Cazzo_." Nico faced Jason. "You're insane, you know that? Absolutely insane."

" _Stai zitto_ ," Jason responded, rolling his eyes.

" _Stronzo_ ," Nico muttered.

"Rude!" Jason shouted. Then he started laughing. "Sorry, Neeks. But hey, we're almost at our first stop."

"First stop?"

Jason nodded. He exited the freeway about fifteen minutes later and arrived at a McDonald's just minutes later. When Jason parked, Nico looked at him incredulously.

"What?"

"Are we going  _inside?_ " Jason nodded. "Why?" _  
_

"To get food, silly. Besides, we still have a while until the movie starts."

Nico still didn't get why they had to eat inside—gods, they were in  _tuxedos!—_ but he followed Jason into the building and immediately felt eyes on them. He avoided looking at anything but the ground, nerves taking over rationale. Jason seemed to pick up on his anxiety, because he moved to stand behind him and wrapped his arms around his torso while they waited in line. He rested his chin on Nico's shoulder, pressing a kiss to his cheek. Nico blushed instantly.

"You okay?" Jason murmured. Nico nodded.  _Only because of you_ , he wanted to say, but his nerves wouldn't allow it. Slowly they wound their way to the register. He could've been misreading the expression on the cashier's face, but it seemed liked the cashier was biting back a comment. Nico used all his willpower to fight down one of his own. They quickly ordered their food and Jason got some cash to pay. Nico didn't know where he'd gotten the American money but it made him feel a little guilty, given his father was the god of wealth. After paying, they both headed for a booth towards the back of the restaurant.

"What if we get attacked?" Nico whispered as they waited. Jason was holding his hand across the table, playing with their fingers.

"I've got my sword in my coat pocket. You can shadow-travel us out of here. Plus, I can manipulate the winds and fly us out. You can raise the dead and—"

"Alright, alright. Dumb question. Sorry."

Jason laughed, smiling at him from across the table. His azure eyes caught the lights overhead, making them twinkle in a Disney-like fashion. Nico knew that fairytales were merely fiction, but Jason was a real-life Disney prince—both personality-wise and appearance-wise. It wasn't fair at all. Jason Grace was too beautiful for his own good.

When the cashier called their order, Jason got up to grab it, ignoring Nico's protests. They took their time eating their food (Nico, a Happy Meal, Jason, a Big Mac) before Jason realized they would be running low on time soon. So they left and headed to their next destination. Jason seemed to grow comfortable behind the wheel because he eventually let one hand creep over to Nico's, lacing their fingers together. He exited the freeway several minutes later and made several turns before entering a lot. Nico felt grateful the bright, block-lettered sign was legible for him: WEST WIND SOLANO THEATER. The words  _West Wind_ made Nico feel briefly ill, but then he read the words underneath them:  _DRIVE-IN THEATER_.

"Oh my gods," Nico murmured as Jason maneuvered their vehicle to a ticket booth. They exchanged words and Jason paid for their movie before they pulled out and went to look for a parking spot. "What movie did you get?"

"Uh... It's called Big Hero 6. Came out last year, I think."

"Okay... Gods, I can't believe we're at a drive-in theater."

Jason laughed, pulling into an available spot. "Why not?"

"It's been years since I went to one," Nico answered, looking around at all the people. "Around seventy years, to be exact." He shifted in his seat to face Jason properly. "When the first ones came out in Italy—and yes, there were some there—my mom saved up money so she could take me and Bianca. We only went like once or twice after that, but it was always fun."

"I'm glad you like it."

"Me too," Nico said, unable to stifle his smile. Jason smiled back at him before letting go of his hand and getting out of the car. Nico watched him pull the top up and over until it was not-so-neatly folded against the trunk. They move to the back, their minds obviously thinking the same thing.

"Do you want any popcorn or anything before the movie starts?" Jason asked.

Nico shook his head. "I'm good."

They sat back, Jason's arm casually falling around Nico's shoulders, and the film began. They both remained quiet for the most part, laughing when something was funny or making commentary at something. Then they got to Hiro's big night. While Hiro and Tadashi spoke outside the building, Nico felt an unreasonable amount of trepidation pooling in his stomach. Then the scream came. Then the burning building.

Tears blurred Nico's vision as he realized what was happening. He blindly reached for the front of Jason's tux, bunching up the fabric in his hands as he buried his face into his chest. Flashbacks and painful memories that had plagued him for years came to him again in tidal waves. Jason rubbed his back soothingly and whispered  _it's okay, you're okay, it's okay_ over and over again in his ear. Seeing Tadashi sacrifice himself and Hiro ultimately losing the brother he looked up to... Nico felt like he was just rubbing salt into an open wound. He may have learned to let go of his anger, but the pain would always be there and _gods_ did it hurt.

"Hey," Jason said as Nico slowly calmed down. "Look."

Nico faced the giant screen as the movie continued. He couldn't help the overwhelming gratitude he felt for Jason. The son of Jupiter didn't ask him any questions or press him into explaining what just happened or anything. He understood. He  _knew_. And he just went straight to comforting him, no hesitation. As the night wore on, Nico paid less attention to the movie and more attention to how much compassion and love he felt for Jason. The last person he'd felt these emotions so strongly for was Percy, and Nico was in love with him. Gods, he was in love with Jason, wasn't he?

Nico turned to Jason and grabbed his collar, using it to pull the older half-blood down. Their lips met sloppily but Nico didn't care. He kissed Jason like it was nobody's business, putting all the passion he had in him into the kiss. And when he pulled away, he stared up into Jason's eyes, relishing in the sincerity and warmth he found in them. Before he could lose his courage, he let out a breathy confession, " _Il mio cuore è solo tuo_."

 

*     *     *

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: What do you think about Nico's confession?
> 
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: Hi! I really hope you liked this chapter! I think it's my favorite, next to chapter eight and the stargazing date. I would love to hear what you guys think in the comments! Kudos as well as all feedback is amazing!


	11. Wonderstruck

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Nico falls in love all over again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AUTHOR'S NOTE: First of all, I'M SORRY. I took ages on this. I got a huge case of writer's block and absolutely nothing would cure it. It was terrible. But I hope all this fluff and angst (so much angst in this chapter lmao) will make up for it. Enjoy your fluff, nerds.  
> MOOD: "Full Moon Song" by Peter Bradley Adams

* * *

 

**NICO HADN'T ACTUALLY MEANT** for those words to come out.

He'd been thinking them, but he didn't mean to say them. He didn't even know if he was emotionally ready for Jason to know how much he meant to him. All of his insecurities had come flooding back as he soon as he said it, and it took all of his willpower to keep himself from automatically shutting himself off. It was an automatic reflex for him to do so, but he knew doing that to Jason would do nothing good for either of them. So he had just kissed Jason again, trying to remain calm.

Later, when he and Jason were driving back to New Rome, Jason had asked him what _Il mio cuore è solo tuo_ meant. Nico had turned red from his cheeks to his chest. Part of him was relieved that Jason hadn't understood what he said. The other part was embarrassed, if not a little disappointed. Very quietly, he answered, "My heart is yours." Jason remained quiet after that, for the entire ride back. Nico briefly wondered if the son of Jupiter had heard him at all. He found out when they were back at his villa that the answer was yes. Jason showered him with kisses from the front door to the bedroom and he repeated the same words to him as he laid Nico on the bed. His pronunciation was slightly off but Nico didn't care. They kissed and kissed and kissed until they fell asleep.

And now, Nico was wide awake, staring at the ceiling with the slumbering son of Jupiter snoring beside him. In the next room, sunlight filtered in through the blinds of the window at the front of the villa as the sun rose. It cast a soft glow on the villa, which flowed through their bedroom door. That was the only reason Nico knew it was morning. He even wondered how long he'd been awake, because he was fairly certain that just moments before his mind zoned out of reality, it had been dark outside and the digital clock beside their bed read 5:38 or something like that.

"Oh. Whoa."

Nico glanced up towards the source of the voice, a blush rising to his cheeks when he caught sight of Percy's face glittering in mist. Hurriedly, he pulled the sheets up to his chin to cover his half-naked body.

"What do you want, Percy? It's, like, nine in the morning." Percy looked confused. "Oh, right, you're three hours ahead. Never mind."

"You two have been gone for, like, two days. You haven't called anyone. We miss you."

Nico hated how his cheeks darkened even more.

"Sorry. We've been... busy." He grimaced at his poor choice of words, at which Percy smirked.

"I can tell." Nico glared at him. "Alright, alright. I won't tease. But hey, keep in touch, okay?"

He rolled his eyes at the son of Poseidon. "Yes, mother."

Percy flashed him a grin. "And when you two get back—Zeus knows when _that'll_ be—let me know. We still need to finish watching The Lion King."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah." Nico swiped his hand across the mist and Percy's face disappeared. Jason still snored softly beside him, unaffected by Nico and Percy's voices. Nico shifted until he was half-laying on top of the son of Jupiter, a serene smile finding its way to his face. He laced a finger through Jason's hair, his hand curving around to cup his cheek. Tentatively, he pressed a kiss to Jason's nose before whispering, "Jace, wake up."

The scar on his lip twitched and his eyelids fluttered open. "Good morning."

Nico's smile widened. "Good morning."

Jason blindly reached around Nico and wrapped his arms around him, his hands at his neck. Then he pressed his head against his chest in an awkward hug. Nico tried to complain about his face being squished up against Jason's chest but couldn't really move his lips, so his words came out muffled.

"What was that?" Jason asked, not moving an inch. Nico scowled and made a growl-like sound under his breath. He received a laugh in response as well as a kiss on the forehead. Then Jason pulled away slightly, smiling widely. "Do you have any plans for today?"

Nico's nose scrunched up. "Of course not."

"Good," Jason chirped, booping the end of Nico's nose with his index finger. "I was thinking we could have a day in. Maybe watch some TV."

Nico pushed himself up using Jason's shoulders and glanced at the digital clock on the bedside table—it was actually a quarter past ten, not nine like he'd told Percy—then nodded. "Alright. I'm ready when you are."

 

* * *

 

In the end, it was a good thing they'd decided to stay indoors for the day. According to Hephaestus TV (which Nico watched as Jason made the hot chocolate he'd insisted on making), most of northern California would be experiencing stormy weather because Zeus—Jupiter, if you preferred Roman—wasn't too happy with Californians at the moment. (Los Angeles must've been polluting the air more than normal.) Nico wasn't very keen on letting Jason know, but he wasn't very fond of thunderstorms. He knew why but he didn't like thinking about it, especially because it happened to be Jason's dad's fault... Plus, he also kind of saw it as weak and lame. Like, seriously, who gets scared of thunder anymore?

"Two orders of my famous steaming hot chocolate, fresh from the kitchen!" Jason announced, entering the living room with two mugs in hand. Steam rose from both mugs, fogging up Jason's glasses. Nico laughed as the son of Jupiter squinted, trying to look down and make sure he didn't trip over the various blankets and pillows he'd laid out on the living room floor. Finally, he stood, taking the mugs from Jason's hands and setting them on the coffee table before tugging Jason back towards the sofa. Just as he was about to sit down, a loud crack of thunder shook the villa. While Jason only cringed—the thunder sounded frighteningly similar to ballistae and other war cannons—Nico jumped eighty feet in the air. After the brief moment passed, he found himself seated on the couch, blue eyes watching him with concern.

"So what movie are we watching?" Nico asked, knowing Jason would ask about his behavior if he didn't at least try to change the subject.

"Nico—"

"Maybe there's something on demand," he continued, reaching for the remote. Jason's eyes flash with understanding and then something else—disappointment. It was clear the son of Jupiter expected him to be much more open to him, especially now, but Nico wasn't ready for him to know about this. In fact, if he'd had the choice, he wouldn't have wanted  _anyone_ to know this aside from Bianca and Hazel.

"Okay, you obviously don't want to tell me why you're so jumpy, but I just want you to know you can literally tell me anything, alright? I l—" Jason stopped short, apparently changing his mind. "I care about you a lot, Neeks. I don't want you to ever feel the way you did before."

Percy knew about it. Bianca knew about it. Hades knew about it. Zeus obviously knew. Annabeth probably did too. Hazel knew; Nico told her. But Jason didn't. And honestly? Jason was the last person he wanted to know about it. Nico didn't want to tell Jason that the reason he was scared of lightning and thunder was because his father killed his mother. But another bolt of lightning struck, the low of thunder following shortly after, and the truth came spilling from Nico's mouth faster than he could process his words.

Nico wasn't sure how Jason managed to catch anything he'd said after he'd become a blabbering mess. He was shocked, as Nico knew he would be, but he held Nico until he stopped crying. He didn't even realize he'd started sobbing until Jason wiped some of his tears away. Eventually, he did stop and that was when Jason started asking his questions. Nico answered them to the best of his ability but with the thunder still booming all around them, it was hard for him to focus.

"Hey, don't pay attention to anything else, okay? Just look at me and listen to me." Jason pressed their foreheads together so that Nico could pretty much only see his eyes. They looked like such a deep blue—like an ocean. Nico wanted nothing more than to drown in them.

"Okay."

"To be honest, I'm not all that surprised with what my dad did," he admitted. "He's done tons of horrible things. But I'm really sorry that this affected you. I wish there was some way I could fix it."

"It's okay," Nico said, because that was what you were supposed to say when someone gave you their condolences.

"It's not," Jason replied, because he knew just as well as Nico did that it was definitely not okay, and he wasn't going to beat around the bush by trying to console Nico with sugarcoating and comfort.

"I know."

Silence passed between them and it's only minutes before Jason wordlessly grabbed the remote and put on some TV show on Disney Channel to ease the mood. It didn't work, but at least they were no longer on the topic. Each time lightning flashed and thunder followed, Nico jumped and Jason held him tighter. Slowly, he calmed down. He focused on Jason and was able to drown out the storm. Nico reached over to grab their mugs of hot cocoa (which now seemed to have become lukewarm cocoa). He sipped leisurely at it, zoning out as he stared almost blankly at the television screen. Eventually, his hot cocoa grew cold and he gave up trying to drink it. He set it on the nearest flat surface and laid back down pretty much on top of Jason. No sooner had he done that did Nico find himself dozing off as they continued to watch whatever show was playing on the television.

  

* * *

 

 

When he woke, Jason was fast asleep beneath him. Pushing himself up a bit, he reached across the couch for the remote and changed it to channel seven. As he'd guessed, ABC News was on and according to it, it was just after noon. They'd slept for three hours. The storm had dulled down to a soft pitter patter that Nico found unusually calming. After setting the remote on the other end of the couch, he collapsed back on top of Jason, letting out a deep, content sigh. His eyes fell shut as Jason, apparently now awake, carded a hand through his hair. The only sounds in the room were their quiet breathing.

Easily, if Nico just focused solely on Jason's heartbeat, he could pretend they were the only ones in the world. He kind of wished they were because though the war with Gaea was long gone, there would always be monsters to fight and evil to vanquish. But right here, right now, they're alone and they're safe. Part of Nico craved that, wanted them to always be safe, maybe even normal. Part of Nico was glad they weren't. It made cherishing this moment all the more important. It made all the moments like this one worthwhile and unique.

Nico looked up at his boyfriend suddenly and tapped his chest repeatedly to get his attention. The son of Jupiter opened his eyes, focusing immediately on Nico. Before he could think about what he was about to say, he blurted, "What if one of us dies?"

Jason's eyebrows knitted together. "Nico—"

"I'm serious. We both know that it's definitely possible. What happens if one of us does die?"

"Where's this coming from?" Jason asked instead of answering. Nico suddenly felt like crying. To be honest, he didn't know. Just a second ago, he was perfectly fine. He didn't like thinking about these kinds of things because of experience. He'd lost multiple people due to being a demigod. His mother died at Zeus' hand. Bianca's life was left to an automaton on a quest to rescue Annabeth. Both Percy and Annabeth nearly died in Tartarus. Bob the Titan died rescuing them. Hazel almost died in his hometown from poisonous gas. He didn't want to lose the people he cared about anymore. He didn't want to lose any of his friends at Camp Half-Blood. He especially didn't want to lose Hazel or Reyna. He especially didn't want to lose Jason, not after everything. Not after last night.

"I don't know," Nico murmured.

"Don't you have that ability to tell when people are close to death?" Nico nodded, his gaze skeptical. "Well, then, are we?"

"No... but—"

"No buts!" Jason cut in, changing their position so he was pinning Nico to the bed. Nico let out a squeal as he did so. Jason kissed both his cheeks, then his forehead, then finally his lips. Slowly, he pulled away, a small smile across his face. "Don't worry about us dying, okay? You know better than anyone that death is inevitable." Jason stole yet another kiss from Nico's lips. "Besides, there's no way I'm letting you get rid of me that easily."

"I'm sorry," Nico apologized moments later. "I don't know why I'm so... sad today."

Jason's lips curled into a small, affectionate smile. "Don't worry. You're a teenager. You're allowed to be a ball of teenage angst sometimes."

He kissed him again but began to pull away sooner than Nico liked, so he used his hand, which curled around Jason's neck and up into his hair, to pull him back down. Without his asking, Jason's mouth opened and their tongues mingled. Nico made a sound of protest when Jason pulled away but was more than pleased to find he was only moving to continue on his neck. A soft sound like a cross between a gasp and a moan left Jason's lips. The sound went straight to Nico's crotch and time quickly slipped away from their minds.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> QUESTION OF THE CHAPTER: How has Jason helped shape Nico's character (not just in this story but throughout House of Hades and Blood of Olympus)?  
> AUTHOR'S NOTE: I'm SO SORRY for not updating in so long. My mind just went to a complete blank whenever I tried to write for this story. And I'm still not happy with how this chapter came out but fluff and angst woo!! This was more of a filler than anything but the next (and final) chapter of this story will be A LOT longer. I promise. Also, some of you may have noticed that I am no longer doing an epilogue. I just think it'd be really pointless to do so.  
> Thank you to everyone who's followed this story, left comments or kudos, subscribed or bookmarked it. This will my first completed multi-chaptered work, which I consider a pretty big milestone. It means a lot to know that there are people who enjoy reading what I write. Seriously, thank you so much. And get ready for chapter twelve because I've got truckloads of fluff headed your way(:  
> -Cass xx

**Author's Note:**

> This work is going to be fairly short so if you notice that things are moving pretty quickly, it is intended. I currently do not have a beta for this fic so if you notice any errors, don't hesitate to notify me! Even if I proofread a dozen times, I won't catch every mistake.
> 
> Thank you for reading! Don't forget to leave kudos or a comment if you'd like to. And maybe subscribe too, if you'd like to read more.
> 
> Also, you should totally check out the novel I'm working on, Beyond the Trees: https://www.wattpad.com/story/75854686-beyond-the-trees-book-one  
> I guarantee you will not regret it.
> 
> All the love,  
> Cass xx


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